Elizabeth Gurley Flynn poem/lyrics--(written in Alderson prison in 1955 shortly after U.S. political prisoner Claudia Jones was released from same prison, prior to being deported to UK by U.S. government)
Nearer and nearer drew this day, dear comrade,
When I from you sadly part,
Day after day, a dark foreboding sorrow
Crept through my anxious heart.
No more to see you striding down the pathway,
No more to see your smiling eyes and face.
No more to hear your gay and ealing leaughter,
No more to feel your love, in this sad place.
How I will miss you, words will fail to utter,
I am alone, my thoughts unshared, these weary days,
I feel bereft and empty, on this dreary, gray morning,
Facing my lonely future, hemmed by prison ways.
Sometimes, I feel you've never been in Alderson
So full of life, so detached from here you seem,
So proud of walk, of talk, of work, of being,
Your presence here is like a fading dream.
Yet as the sun shines now, through fog and darkness,
I feel a sudden joy that you are gone,
That once again you walk the streets of Harlem,
That today for you at least is Freedom's dawn.
I will be strong in our common faith, dear comrade,
I will be self-sufficient, to our ideals firm and true,
I will be strong to keep my mind and soul outside a prison,
Inspired by ever-loving memories of you.
No comments:
Post a Comment