Red Ribbon Girl

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)