2/11/09 Rodsheéa Thomas

Harlem/Soweto
Essay

“…You sweat coal we burn steel, you’re locked on lands we’re locked indoors.” In my opinion that is the strongest sentence. That one short sentence right there is perfect! Descriptions’ of all three of my topics. Which are text to world, text to self, and deep (description of struggle.)

Harlem/Soweto by Sayfia Henderson. Great poem! Love it because it relates to the real world. Similes that’s used are good…” we are woven in separable as sky with one sun…” It gets straight to the point that draws the reader into the poem. Language stated in the poem is real …”you say Bantustans we say Harlem, you say Soweto we say Watts.” Quote from Harlem/Soweto, that quote right there is so powerful alone. Just to tell us that we are different by saying a different name. Even though we’re the same because Africans, and African Americans call for a different name but we call for the same reason. Henderson’s poem is poetic, description of Africans, and African Americans and nature are shown clearly through words. Given many details. Harlem/Soweto gives the reader a sense of what Henderson knows in her perspective, which makes it powerful.

A good poem is a better poem. Why? Simply because in most cases it relates to yourself. You! Some of the saying’s in Harlem/Soweto said,”your locked on land and were locked indoors…” powerful and true. Personally I can relate to that saying. People believe that since we have our freedom, they think we’re free. Necessarily we’re not completely free. I too am locked indoors, but I have the freedom to leave without permission. But then again I still need it. Right now all people struggle everyday, every minute, every second. “ finger knotted around one stick I am an African American whose fingers are knotted around a stick. Yours a stick to do labor. Mine stick to write my life away.

At last real life situations, Africans, African Americans struggle, talk about the man. Are all descriptions of struggle …"You sweat coal we burn steel. You’re locked on lands we’re locked indoors.” Quote from Harlem/Soweto my favorite. That quote is so strong and right to the point. Cant you just feel how serious that is. Fact: that we some what over came trouble makes it even better, even though we still have problems. We are still connected.” We are woven inseparable as one sky with one sun one moon one tongue rolled to spit in one eye…” Another quote from Harlem/Soweto. Still trying to fight off the “man”. Even though some think we are free. “You say Bantustans we say Harlem, you say Soweto, we say Watts.”

“…You sweat coal, we burn steel, you’re locked on lands, we’re locked indoors” Start with the greatness must end in greatness. Harlem/Soweto is a great, strong, and powerful. How I can relate to it and it relates to the world, and how descriptive it is. If you don’t like it oh well but keep in mind that they are our ancestors and sacrificed their everything for us.Including their lives.