Red Ribbon Girl.

The red ribbon drifted down her back

like blood

& she trod on black upon black,

in a corset of fine trimming and delicate spinning - white as snow

purest glow,

white upon white

and not to know

what bled underneath her was

tied up at the back -

Red ribbon girl

of patterned blood & delicate trimming

trod upon the slaves of a second beginning

stood over the corpses of rapes and living

then looked upon a country

of education & high breeding,

in innocence ran away from the black upon bleeding

protected a child & died away

then later when culture forgot her

it tossed her a coat

to cover, to wear -

Red ribbon girl

with red river long hair,

undid the deep & tied up bow of blood

future of a ripped away race

that was trodden under - disgraced,

left her reading - a story

with her own white race

now to suffer & stare -

in horror,

at the red ribbon of blood stained down her own back,

from the murderous living of white upon black.

From 'Project Ballare' (Feb 2010)