Sold
Cato
Enslaved child servant of Rev. Jonathan Parsons
Died here 1734, Age 10
—Witness Stones Inscription
One night my mama got down on her knees
so that I could see her eyes real good
and so that she could see mine.
Her lips quivered,
the whites of her eyes tinged pink.
She said, “Son, tomorrow you must leave me.”
I stared at her not understanding.
I have never left my mama.
I have always been
in her arms or
on her hip or
in her sight my whole short life.
And she, all understanding, said,
“Son, you have been sold.”
Notes:
This poem is from “The Witness Stones Project” portfolio that appeared in the November 2021 issue. The authors write about the series and the collaborative process here.
Source: Poetry (November 2021)