It shouldn’t take long

To hear the music
Of years of toil and hardship
Sung by bound and bruised
Children of the scalding sun
The melodies that resonate through fields
And echoes in dark basements
It shouldn’t take long
Till their beautiful lines
Touch every blade of grass
And golden stalk of corn
To bless the ears
Of those who mock them
It shouldn’t take long
To realize the fleeting notes
Never found a resting place
The cries in perfect tune
Still fill the air
Where those in bondage
Have not been freed
But still create timeless
Music in agony