We gathered teardrops,
Placed them into a thimble shaped box
It was heavy, despite its size
Pain
Anguish
Heartache....weigh,
And the only reason we could carry it – joy kept it manageable

We buried it alongside the water,
Because once we’d been taught;
That the sound of rivers, eased pain
Hope
Faith
Belief....free
And we knew that even if it washed away – joy would keep it buoyant

We sat beside it and created patterns,
Handed down from generations, into the earth
Symbolically etching our spirit into the box, to protect it
Truth
Love
Peace...save
And we wanted its history to continue – joy is said to be contagious

We did this, for it was the only way,
To conceal our pain
While keeping our identity intact
Man
Woman
Children...continue
And begat the descendents of Africa – joy has kept our legacy

This piece was created for the Random Poetic Phrases Game from the Discussion Board utilizing the following poetic phrases:

thimble-shaped
the sound of rivers
patterns handed down