"Heard You That Wail?"

To the Reader: Stuck between pages of the Darkinboddy manuscript was a sheet of foolscap, folded into quarters. The upper right corner noted the city and the date as “New York. July 13, 1871.” The sheet contained a sixteen-line untitled poem, written in Melanie’s easily identifiable scrawl. Aside from a few cross-outs and notes in the margins, I have provided the content of the poem in its entirety. It is clearly influenced by the work of famed poet and novelist Frances E.W. Harper (1825-1911) and, indeed, in the bottom left margin is written “send to Mrs. Harper for advice.” At this time, Melanie would have been 14 years old.

                                 New York. July 13, 1871

Heard you that grievous wail?

The Colored Stevedore - A Reminiscence. Credit: NYHS.

A sound of such despair,

Brutal hands tore sable limbs,

Dread filled the summer air.

Saw you his courage as he fought?

I clung close to his side,

'Til thrust away by sturdy  arms,

He bade me run and hide.

The mob then came to do the deed,

With cruelty and hate,

They tore his body, limb from limb,

And sealed his deadly fate.

He braved the horrid mob for me

My bitter tears still fall,

His soul’s ascent to heaven gives

Some comfort, tho’ not all.