- Magpie Tale #71
Holding Pattern
Boats sail on lemon drop skies
Seem to be in holding pattern
Follow the flow
Sails billow
Sailors dream of far away ports
Adventure at farside of the world
Drums roll
Old mariner tells the tale
Of long ago
Sight the star patterns
Mark the charts
Sail for the dark continent
Fill the hole
With live cargo
Black as ebony
Bring a good price on the block
Time of shame
Never look back
Chains drag scrape the deck
Songs sung low to heal cracked
Broken hearts never to return
To land of birth
Masters are cruel
Take away freedom’s breath
Captives blood is ink
Dip the pen
Tell the tale
Drums roll
annellannell 
This is so dark and sad are you speaking of slave ships? Powerful poem
Blood is ink. Really nice step there.
Funny, I didn’t think of ships, but, yep–there they are.
I was captivated by ‘holding pattern’ ~ and the words that followed.
Annell, this is a haunting poem, beautiful…but haunting.
there is almost a rhythmic beat to these lines
like the beat of oars in the water
so sad..not just our shame but humanity’s shame
nicely done
I love the “lemon drop skies”…
this is a fine poem Annell – great depth
Sad tale of a sad history yet beautifully told.
Anna :o]