• Home
  • About
  • Reflections
  • Poetry
    • My Poems
    • Guest Poets
    • Selected Poems
    • Classic Poets
    • Classic Love Poems
    • Zen Poetry, Haiku, and Wisdom
  • Essays
  • Inspiration
    • Love
    • Mandalas and More
    • Native Voices
    • Petals of Sunshine
    • Positive Reinforcement
    • Videos to Inspire and Motivate
  • Quotes
    • Flowers and Gardens
    • Native American Wisdom
    • Peaceful Thoughts
  • Guestbook
  • Sitemap

Inspiration for the Spirit

A lovely place to wander for poetry and inspiration to soothe the soul

Home ▷ Terry Stephen Driscoll ▷ Black Man Jack

Black Man Jack

by Terry Stephen Driscoll

Engraving from "Voices of Freedom," Boston: Houghton, Mifflin, and Company, 1884Upon a hill
Upon a time
A man of rhythm
Lost his rhyme

Demon people
Draped in white
Set a crucifix
Alight

Tortured screams
His desperate shrill
Upon a time
Upon a hill

The hooded men
Lit up the sky
To watch a
Negro spirit fly

Blackened skin
More black than Jack
Had ever worn
Upon his back

Clung to bones
As black with char
This tortured soul
Of Africa

As flesh made way
The flames they soared
Upon a hill
The fire roared

Once in rhythm
Now in rhyme
Was black man Jack
Upon a time

Copyright © 2002 Terry Stephen Driscoll • All rights reserved.
Engraving from “Voices of Freedom,” Boston: Houghton, Mifflin, and Company, 1884.

Filed under slavery.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

The Poetry Pages

My Poems
Guest Poets
Selected Poems
Classic Poets
Classic Love Poems
Zen Poetry, Haiku, and Wisdom
book and blue flowers

Guest Poets

  • Oriah Mountain Dreamer
  • Terry Stephen Driscoll
  • Laryalee Fraser
  • Dennis Janke
  • Christine Magee
  • Dorothy Doyle Mienko
  • Carrie Ryman
  • Tom Schmidt
  • Susan Dane Setin

“What makes you a poet is a gift for language, an ability to see into the heart of things.” —Erica Jong

Explore and Enjoy

aging anger autumn being female cancer children comfort & compassion death divorce empty nest family father flowers & gardens friends & friendship grief & sadness happiness hope & optimism illness inner peace inspiring life & living loneliness love love lost loving yourself mandala marriage mindful living mother motherhood music Native American nature people places poetry & writing positive attitude quotes relationships sex & sexuality simplicity solitude spirit spring winter

Looking for a specific poet or author?

Inspiration for the Spirit EST 2002 • Copyright © 2025 Patricia Petro • LOGIN

»
«