In the heat of the day
Marta made her way
To the river,
Her job,
To wash clothes
Hers, and those
Of Ama Kai.
In the air she smelt rain
But again, it just played
And stayed away.
Dust devils danced
And pranced, in the yard
Hard, by where the white children played
With their parents.
She had asked Ama Kai
Why
She had no Father
Or, no Mother
The reply,
Was go away
Ask another day.
So she would pray
To the God
Of the white man,
But he couldn't hear
For he never came near
To speak.
She walked through the cane
Where the wind whistled
And the cane looked down
And frowned
On her sorrow.
At the river bank
She sank
To her knees
And was pleased
To see the bright fish,
Marta wished
She was as free
As they seemed to be
And she cried.
A/N Ama Kai is a middle-aged female slave.
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Owain Glyn
