My People, Our Trials and Tribulations

By Anthony Arnold

Anthony is a humble man that uses poetry to express what he knows, believes and passionately feels about culture and history. He appreciates everyone willing to have the courage to take this journey with him for a better understanding of MY PEOPLE, OUR TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS. Through poetic expression, this book is the beginnings of fulfilling his desire to share knowledge with the younger generation with more about their ancestors and culture; letting them know they are much more than what some in society has labeled them. He hopes through his writing he is able to educate others more about the historical significance of the challenges African Americans as well as the contribution of African Americans throughout history including those events which are very rarely discussed or taught in public schools, such as African American roles in the Civil War. He hopes to shed more light on the strength of Black People throughout history.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anthony Arnold
• Release date: Apr 18, 2014
• ISBN: 9780985118525

Anthony Arnold

Anthony Arnold, raised by his grandmother in a little town called Quincy in Florida, wrote his first piece in the third grade and fell in love with writing ever since that moment; writing has become a comfort and a mainstay to keep him focused.Writing gives Anthony the ability to educate those that have no clue about the things that African Americans have faced and writes of things that will never be taught in schools.He has a desire to show the younger generation that we are much more than what society has labeled us! And to let them know they have come from.A humble man that uses poetry to express what he hears, thinks and passionately feels, Anthony invites you to join him on his poetic journey.

Book preview

Slavery

Slave Ship

A Slave’s Prayer

My journey-My story

Chains

Chains pt 2

Haiku

A Dream

By Any Means Necessary

Freedom

Clouds

Ghosts

My Name is Emmett

A Soldier’s Testament

Reflections of our Ancestors

Predator

4 little girls

7089

Change

Soldier

Footsteps

Hatred

Her Journey

My Calling

My Life

Am I Not a Man?

Rage Against the Machine

Revolution

Rise

Sista’s of the Civil Rights Movement

Sit In

Strength

Step To Me If You Dare

The Whisper

Time Traveler

Walk

Who

Would You?

Walking

Who Are You?

Nubian Man

Nubian Woman

Sight Beyond Sight

I Watch

Untitled

The Phoenix

About The Author

Expressions

Acknowledgements

Honoring the most high is a must, first and foremost.  The very possibility of this book is truly by the grace of God.  I wholeheartedly thank him for my talent.

To my mom for having me and to my wonderful children; daughter, Jordan and son, Anthony.  Love you guys with all my heart!

A special thanks to my inspiration and muse, Rosemarie Howard. Thank you for all the love, encouragement and unwavering support you have given me to make this happen…love you babe!

God has blessed me with the most supportive people from the very moment I began writing:

Lynnie Rose, RoseApples, BlaqueRose, Cheryl, Silva, Lora, Latrice, Rosalind Cherry, Jen Jen, Wingman, Kenneth, Jon, Wayne, Rodney and Kevin who have all become my poetic family. I appreciate you all greatly.

A special thanks to Nyla, my favorite BTR host, thank you for allowing me to be heard.

To Nita and Katrina of Steamy Trails Publishing

for providing the platform to display my talent.

Finally to all my other poetic brethren, thank you for your love, support, criticism and suggestions. It has made me a better writer and a better person.

Thanks to you all for going on this journey with me!

*Grasshopper humbly bows!*

Anthony

Introduction

I have always been a student of black history and since I grew up in the 60’s, have always been fascinated with the civil rights movement. So it only made sense that when I started writing again that I would focus on this.

For us as a people, slavery is the beginning. Without this event in our history, we do not exist. One of my stories, "My Journey-My story", deals with a young slave from the time of his capture until his settlement on a plantation and his almost death on that same plantation. This is one of my favorite pieces because it shows the perseverance and the faith that our people had to overcome and everything placed in front of them!

I hope that when you read this, it will give you a taste of what they went through. The blood, sweat and tears that were shed so that we are able to express ourselves in this fashion. I hope that it will make you think, wonder, and sometimes cry for those who were here before us.

I came up with the title, My People, Our Trials and Tribulations, as a tribute to the fortitude, the courage and the strength of our ancestors as they fought and sometimes died to make themselves seen as a people.

This was a labor of love. I hear them speak to me, and after reading the poems and short stories within this book, I hope you do as well!

Ancestors whispers...

"I see my people struggle"

My People

I hear the voices of the ancestors whisper

Who are you? What have you done?

I see my people struggle and try to survive

Young people with no purpose

No idea from whence they came

They don’t know that they are descended from

Royalty, Rulers of Mesopotamia and Egypt

Pharaohs and Kings

They don’t know

They don’t know the things that we went through

So that they can walk around with pants sagging,

Music blaring, drugs dealing, black on black killing

They don’t know

It hurts me to see where we are

The things that we haven’t done

We have not progressed

We have regressed

It brings me to tears to watch my people suffer

That’s why I speak like I do, teach like I do,

Write what I do, give the way I do

Because I do know

The ancestors speak through me

Teach through me, help through me

And I will continue anyway I can

I am a proud black man!

Slavery

Brought over from a far off land

Families ripped apart

Men, women, and children

Generations decimated

Carried in ships across the sea

Packed inside like cattle

Some might make it, some might not

Death is a companion, bodies left to rot

Bought and sold like common sheep

Teeth examined, breasts squeezed

Branded and numbered

Not a person, property

Running to escape trying to get away

Slave hunters on the prowl

Beaten, maimed, killed outright

Drag them home an example to make

The War between the States