Writing

    I've decided to create a page where I can link to various writing efforts.  It might motivate me to get around to doing more writing.  I had a small collection of poems, plays and short stories when I was younger, but I'm not sure where they are - when I stumble across them I'll load them here. 

    The first entry is a poem. I thought of is as a song at first, and you can see the notes for my musical concept here; but I haven't created music for it, and the stanzas don't scan well as lyrics - they're inconsistent in length, which isn't the kiss of death for a poem, but makes a fit with musical arrangement a little difficult.

Chocolate Lament

Under a fierce, angry sun,
A child falls under the cocoa sack
"Big Man" beats him - Le Gros beats him -
Cocoa tree branches and bicycle chains
Scarring his chocolate back
Whip the boy...misery makes joy
Says Le Gros, "I'm not an evil man...
"this child is part of my family..."

Eleven years old, four foot nothing,
Twelve hours a day in the African sun
Mali child in the Cote d'Ivoire
Cocoa bean sack is bigger than you
Chocolate child...chocolate slave
Don't call for your mother - she is far away
Your cries drowned out in the crashing wave

400 harvested cocoa pods make
One pound of dark sweet delight
On Easter morning, the angelic blond sprite
Laughs and runs in the northern garden
Giggling and hunting for chocolate eggs
Easter treat...tears and sweat
Bitter sweet dark chocolate meat

The moon slinks down in the western ocean,
Crying herself to sleep in the fading light
Mali child doesn't see her
He is locked up for the night
Corn paste and burnt bananas on his plate
He has never tasted chocolate


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