"For a Woman"

I came across this poem tonight while I was doing research for my London tutorial and for some reason it just made me so unbelievably sad. The poem was written by Erika Huggins, a major player in the Black Panther party, while she was in jail for murder. I do not know if I was so moved by the beautiful poem itself as I was by the realization that 38 years later, it's not going to get any better.

to carry life

to bear it

to be aware of the beauty

of man/to create/is to

become sorrowed by those

who, unaware, kill/exploit/

plunder/dehumanize.

there are times when sorrow

becomes mixed with joy

tears with smiles

it is then the innocence

of the innocents tears at your soul

your mind

carrying a new person, another life

awakens all of you in you-

the world can be so harsh, so cruel

and you as a new you,

a servant of creation, are

defensive

afraid

sometimes alone

even, with many people

you want to protect him/her(the new life)

from society's cruelty-

you will see

you can

not.

Huey Newton and Erika Huggins, Insights and Poems, San Francisco: City Lights Books, 1975, pp. 43-44