sounds from the soul

poetry written by Ericka Huggins in prison in 1970.
[ If They Come in the Morning, 1971 Angela Davis, p 98]

On Sunday, the 13th of December, the New Haven Women's Liberation Rock Band played a concert at Niantic State Prison.

reflections on Sunday:

sounds that come from the soul are always
the same
free
open sounds
giving
the kind that reach out and touch--

that's what our sisters did/ minimum
touching maximum/ showing oppression
and the wish for its
removal...
feeling those sounds
seeing them felt on others
watching faces smile
really smile for the first time in months--
getting high--on the natural power of the
people to resist/to smile/ to laugh/ to sing/
shout/love/give
ever here!!!
wild hair, funky guitar
long hair funky voice ( someone said
bessie smith came to mind)
hair--all lengths, legs arms, smiles, music--
SISTERS--and us...
raggedy peacoats, cotton dressed, rocking,
swaying,
screaming

enjoying it--
crying too--even if not too many
let the tears fall free
...us--black/brown/white/poor--SISTERS
and it was all a total exchange
of energy
communciation
even if we did not share words
we all knew their soul-sounds were
saying
we understand
we know
we can see what amerika is doing
to you--mother/daughter/child/woman
of oppression--

we can se, they sung
and our voices answered their guitars,
horns flute-voice-cowbell-tambourinene de-
mand for freedom with an unspoken right on
...a feelingt here that one day--soon--
all people will be free... and
we left
stronger
able to smile (for a moment)...
till we returned to
rules that degrade
schedules that destroy sanity
racism that they cannot see
sexism that rapes us of our womanhood...

and the locks, keys, windows, walls, doors,
threats
warnings
bribes that harden oru hearts and
chain our souls...
the time
must be
seized
venceremos!

the oldness of new things
fascinate me like a new
feeling about love about people
snow, highways that
sparkle at night, talk,
laughter...
that old longing for freedom
that this place cosntantly
renews--it all makes
me know that humankind
has longed to be free ever forever
since its break from the
whole
maybe longing for
freedom will soon make
others homesick for our
natural state in / with
earth, air, fire, water
not dead
but living
not asking for freedom--
but free--






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