what I know about de juju
de dogs bark
take the enemy by surprise
quietly as possible
fight him face to face
like a man
sit up wid de dead man
dey teachee us mo’ war
integrity destroyed
kill de leopard
the king sacrifices many slaves
dat my boy
hurtee his Mama
de six chillun together
clam up de side de barracoon
not so sad now
no king in ‘Merica soil
bring yo’ plate
bed and bed cover
and fetch yo’ own grub
ain’ able to work no mo’
thinkee too ‘bout my folks
and cry
memory is to be
house full of thoughts
how lonely we are too
in this still foreign land
This piece is composed solely out of phrases taken randomly from Zora Neale Hurston’s “Barracoon: The story of the last slave”. This is work published posthumously by The Zora Neale Hurston Trust (2018/2019).
The book is Hurston’s detailed anthropological account on an important and central aspect of the formation of the USA, as experienced by 90-year-old Cudjo Lewis (born Oluale Kossula). In August 1931, Lewis entrusted Hurston with his memories of life on the African continent, his horrifying capture (50 years after the abolition of slavery), and the trying time he spent in slavery. We now also get to be witness to this precious testimony from a harrowing period of US history.
Barracoon is a recent purchase of mine that I am really looking forward to reading, because of the evocative and weighty quality of Hurston’s literary and academic work. I already own “Their Eyes Were Watching God”—read it ages ago, alongside “Dust Tracks on a Road” and “Mules and Men”. All very powerful work indeed!
Comments