nobody or nation

our forebears came to these islands in tall ships
either on the decks or in the holds

the men on the decks dreamt of acres of fields of green cane
arrowing in the december sun of sugar of molasses of rum

and of the gold and silver they would turn them to
and how that would turn them into gentlemen

the men and women in the holds also had dreams
of returning home of slaughtering their masters of freedom

from abuse and being owned and all of the ills that slavery
carries with it and yet they were all changed

and changed their masters with them those fresh gentlemen
and their pale ladies yearning for a home that they had never seen

not seeing that they built one where they were because
all they could see were strangers to be feared not thinking

that master and slave change each other their connection
makes something new and hitherto unthought

but both look backwards and so in reverse
take the new light for yesterday's fading sun