13). The Clansman’s Negro Heart
Bonnie died on Sunday, on
surgery table,
where life depended on the steady
hands and the razor-
On Tuesday Bonnie woke with
heart that is new;
implanted with treads and
needles, the frailty of life
By the week from Sunday that
Bonnie died
he came into full life of
Second-Chance
Bonnie could talk, swallow an
egg,
experience complete material
structures of his body
like the bully-bull, nothing
amiss the bouncer was fine-
But how, to life again-
Bonnie could not conceive or
comprehend-
Unconscious, the unaware
Bonnie was,
to, the surgery table-
Finally, the flash beacons
from within,
enduing him to grips with a
miracle;
the miracle of Second Chance,
the blessing to only few-
Bonnie broke the ice
and querying the fact of his
life-
Questioning, regarding the
source,
source of, his life of Second
Chance-
“Who was this Angle of Life?
-
the original bearer of this
gold?
upon whose death-
I, have received a Second
Chance?”
To Bonnie the unimaginable,
the surprise of the differing
kind
was, handed him; a picture,
by him that doctored his
Second Chance
Bonnie went shortly comatose.
recovery timely,
Bonnie puckered, “What!
Mark! him I knew, very well,
at work.”-
Red and pale faced was Bonnie
as he asked
Plainly, in abject pain and
sorrow he stammered
“what, what, what Happened?
How did it happen?
Why, why, O! why~ that
trailed into sub sobs”
And diamond shaped, the tears
rolled
painful for, Bonnie’s state
of health.
An accident took Mark’s life,
his heat lives on
to give life in Second
Chance-
Bonnie mumbles the name of
God.
A novelty in Second Chance
Bonnie sobbed a while; the
wife asked;
“you, crying?” happy to be,
was the expectation
It, it, it hurts so much; Not
the heart but the man I am-
Mark, I had fired for no
reason,
I fired him for no reason at
all,
but that he was Black, he was
black-
Mark, I hated, a Blackman
working
and earning as much as I;
that was too much to bear.
That to me was not right-
I was the man-perfect
Mark, I hated for his guts,
smartness and spirit;
those challenged the man I am
Mark was a textbook candidate
of Clansman, hate.
I resented everything about
him,
the sight of him made me
angry
that I was often hurting, and
crying inside-
The worst thing still;
I hated the sight of him
smiling
Smiling a greeting as if I
was his friend-
It was most painful knowing
that he knew,
that, I hated him
yet he dismissed me
my treats as he dismissed me.
To fire him, I could not find
grounds;
for Mark worked so hard and
so professionally
Mark, I hated for his guts,
smartness and spirit;
Shaking his head-
Mark was a textbook candidate
of Clansman, hate-
As a Clansman would say,
Nigger he is; and that is
reason enough,
to fire him; and so, I did
I fired Mark for no reason,
no reason at all-
just that he was a smart
Blackman,
he was black
Bonnie broke down and sobbed
as if rejecting the New Heart
from Blackman Mark-
He recovered from the painful
mortification
The shackle in, of
penitential pain and remorse
The pain that washed away his
hatred
of him that was black and
beautiful-
Monday a month that Bonnie
died and lived,
In the new life of second
chance;
from his hospital bed without
further ado or delay
Bonnie withdrew his Clansman
Membership-
he vowed to worship God
His sons, grandsons followed
Pa’s example
ending generations of
Clansman Membership
Discharged Bonnie was,
with bouncing healthy body
and soul,
to life of Second Chance
With apology made of tears,
Bonnie met with Mark’s
family, wife and children
I wished, I, Bonnie a
Clansman,
had known yesterdays,
what I know now; O! How I
wish.
I today am living in Second
Chance
with “Heart” most beautiful
that you have given.
Accept, accept me as family,
though “White”;
you and I know, indeed I have
a Blackman’s heart
and Hearth in a life of
Second Chance.
