Sisters Of Hope Poem by stephen ifill

You, brought power to the hillside,
And you? You brought power to the quayside,
Sisters? No.
Yet sisters, who
Sought contests,
Sought conquests;
With the mind and the will,
To succeed,
In spite of
Social stagnation,
Communal degradation,
Wanton destruction,
Absence of direction,
Political prostitution,
of the minds,
the wills,
the spirits,
the goals,
the very lives
of those who failed
to conquer
as you sisters of courage did.

Your numerous,
Unknown sisters,
Their cause; your cause?
Their dream; your dream?
Yet strangers,
to your struggles.
To your trials.
Unseen, your pain,
Unaware, your pride,
Taken for granted,
Your fortitude, in stride.

In another world, they will,
Unto themselves, rights,
To be heard,
To decide,
To lead.
To own, you.
To run roughshod,
To take advantage.
Why?
Because
You live on the other side.

Yes, you may ride away,
Leave the past behind,
You were never there.
You were always meant to be,
On the other side,
Where you'll take pride.
How high you've soared,
You have touched the sky.

You won't look back,
There's nothing to retain,
Poverty is a stain,
Life must go on,
From tomorrow.
There's no more sorrow,
No wailing in vain,
Yes, rain, will wash away,
Your hidden pain,
Your sins,
And for once place you,
Among the elite,
Where you hungered to be,
To live your childhood,
Your fantasy story.

But low and behold,
You arise with the heat,
Of the searching morning sun;
You shade your eyes,
You cover your ears,
You hide those tears,
You revoke those fears.

Haunted, for years.
Are you dreaming?
Are you going around,
In a never ending circle,
With little to hold on to,
Yet wishing for a miracle.
No, this cannot be real,
Your thunder,
They somehow wish to steal;
Your pain and sorrow,
Your better tomorrow.
Come off it girl?
I must have been dreaming?
Look at yourself,
On your bookshelf,
Lay the honours, your communities,
Have bestowed onto you.

You have made us proud,
Let us all sing out loud,
You have claimed your golden horizon,
You have released us all,
From that mental prison.

November 11 2014(c)