Upon Reading “Man With the Hoe”

Latest

Nelson Peery speaking at the celebration of his life on his 90th birthday. PHOTO/DAYMONJHARTLEY.COM
Nelson Peery speaking at the celebration of his life on his 90th birthday.
PHOTO/DAYMONJHARTLEY.COM

Upon Reading
Man With the Hoe
Strangling in the muck of history
He leans against the tavern wall
And silently gazes across the Avenue
Where watchdogs of property
With vulture eyes and shotguns
Impose Pax Americana.
With the brooding hatred of the helpless
With the weight of tradition’s chains
Upon sagging shoulders,
He indicts
The lords of heaven and hell
You, who stole the rapture of his youth,
You who heaped grief upon sorrow,
You who hoped to silence hope
With the authority of fear —
Listen to the silence —
Do not believe
It is submission,
Or that the lowered eyes no longer see
The mountain.
For he is the son of the slave
Who built and brought down
Empires of the ages.
His are the hands that created
The vaulted heaps of gold and silver,
Inspired the art, the soothing music —
That dragged humanity from the swamp.
You! Lords of the universe!
Do you believe those who concretized dreams
Do not dream?
Or those who materialized vision
Have no future?
He is the gathering storm,
The whirlwind that thunders
Condemnation!
More than destroy the old —
The guns of pride, of property and privilege,
He will build the world of peace and love.
And dance with six winged Angels.
Editor’s Note: “The Man With the Hoe,” Edwin Markham’s 1871 poem, showed the laborer bent down under the system that oppresses him. Nelson’s poem shows a worker, not submissive, but part of the gathering storm of revolution.

+ Articles by this author

Free to republish but please credit the People's Tribune. Visit us at www.peoplestribune.org, email peoplestribune@gmail.com, or call 773-486-3551.

The People’s Tribune brings you articles written by individuals or organizations, along with our own reporting. Bylined articles reflect the views of the authors. Unsigned articles reflect the views of the editorial board. Please credit the source when sharing: ©2024 peoplestribune.org. Please donate to help us keep bringing you voices of the movement. Click here. We’re all volunteer, no paid staff.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Featured

80 Years After Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Are We on the Verge of Another Nuclear War?

Gerry Condon, former president of Veterans for Peace, makes the case that we are now closer to nuclear war than ever, and that the U.S. is primarily responsible.

Labor Law Still Offers Pathway to Resist Abusive, Inhumane Immigration Laws

Local unions are taking leadership by negotiating language into their agreements prohibiting ICE from entering workplaces.

Nebraska Farmers Describe Trump’s Impact

Farmers from Neligh, Nebraska speak on Trump’s policy to round up farmworkers, the effect of the tariffs on farmers, and the resistance.

Gazans Demand ‘Agency, Memory and Hope’

The true number of dead and missing in Gaza may be around 500,000. Another 500,000 face starvation. Palestinians say if there is to be peace, it must begin with respect for their voices, their rights and their humanity.

Trump’s Immigration Theater Ignores Whose Land ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Is

The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma joined Florida tribes in protesting "Alligator Alcatraz. The tribe says it insults their ancestral homeland and threatens ecosystem.

More from the People's Tribune