Moaning Blues Poem by Barry Middleton

the moan of the blues
is like the moan of lovers
is like the moan of lost love

it is a Memphis sound
it is the sound of Chicago
it is a Mississippi delta beat

the moan of the blues
is hopelessness in a dying city
the drug street with no way out

it cries for redemption
it grieves the wasted lives
it calls for mercy and salvation

the moan of the blues
holds the blood of the slave
it is the breath and soul of despair

the moan of the blues
is contrition and resolution
it is the tears shed for better days

it is of birth and death
it is the sound of a baby's cry
it is the prayer that awaits eternity