Remember Me Poem by Linford Sweeney

Long time ago you invaded our land, took our land, not your land
You disregarded our welcome and our traditions
Remember me
I was there

Long time ago you took my sister, my brother, father and mother too
You stole me from my family and all that I had known
Remember me
I was there

Long time ago You marched me over hills and valleys to the ocean's edge
You put me in chains and, although I resisted, took me to a faraway place
Remember me
I was there

Long time ago you took my culture, all my songs, art and stories
You took my dignity, my language, my words and my self-respect
Remember me
I was there

Long time ago you took my life, all my thinking and all my feelings
You tried to take my spirit, but it was not yours to take
Remember me
I was there

Long time ago I was that witness to all the pain that greeted every smile
Remember me
I was there

Long time ago I was your glory, your boastfulness and your power
Remember me
I was there

Today, I am your conscience, your nightmare, your ancestral legacy
Remember me
I am still here