Desirous of Her Liberty at This Time
Nancy Freeman
1771–1853
Baptized 1819, Excommunicated 1830
“ ... her life became increasingly troubled with alcohol.”
Was there ever a time when an enslaved woman or man
was not “desirous” of their freedom? Was the day before
these words were written or the years before that
a less “desirous” time? I carry the name of freedom
but not the fact of it.
My legacy was bondage.
The legacy of my children is bondage.
How then do I reconcile this life?
My condition has built in me an anger that scratches
like a prickly branch every second of every day.
It has made me as unruly as forsythia
and equally as uncaring about my unruliness.
Hope is my only motivation.
I put no faith in the god they try to force upon me.
I commit my faith to chance, to the possibility of liberty.
Not for me, but for my progeny.
Notes:
This poem is from “The Witness Stones Project” portfolio that appeared in the November 2021 issue. The authors write about the series and the collaborative process here.
Source: Poetry (November 2021)