Poet's Corner Every Friday: "Cotton Fields" by A. Jarrell Hayes

Live @ Poet's Den, Episode 3


The nation had long been
Soiled by cottonseed oil.
At first cotton was planted
By the ignorant and old, then
They taught the craft to their
Children and so forth. But
Now cottonseed oil is in
Our blood, it is in our souls!
We attempt to purge ourselves
Of the infection by denying
Our true feelings. We fancy
The illusion that things have
Changed, while, in fact, they
Have not. Except for the
Matter that cotton grows
On its own now. We no
Longer need to water it
With our ignorance and
Mistrust; the rains of
Apathy does the deed for us.

By A. Jarrell Hayes
From the collection Just Another Angry Black Man