Ode to the Field Negro

 Ode to the Field Negro

Beneath the burning sun you toiled,  

Your hands calloused, your spirit unspoiled.  

A silhouette against the blinding day,  

Sweat-soaked and stoic, you paved the way.  

Your strength unmatched, your will unbent,  

In fields of sorrow, your days were spent.  

Through cotton rows and barren lands,  

You labored hard with steady hands.  

They called you lowly, they called you less,  

But they could never cage your restlessness.  

In every furrow, in every seed,  

You planted hope, though none would heed.  

You whispered freedom through the air,  

A silent prayer, a defiant stare.  

You sang the songs of old and new,  

Melodies of pain that bore the truth.  

Your legacy, the strength to rise,  

To challenge chains and shatter lies.  

For every whip that cracked your back,  

Your soul stayed fierce, your spirit intact.  

O field negro, strong and bold,  

Your story, in every heart retold.  

You are the roots, deep and wide,  

The source of strength we hold inside.  

From dusk till dawn, from dark to light,  

You kept on going, you kept the fight.  

In fields of sorrow and skies of blue,  

O field negro, we honor you.