Limbo

#english #literature

Poem

By Edward Kamau Braithwaite "And limbo stick is the silence in front of me limbo limbo limbo like me limbo limbo like me long dark night is the silence in front of me

limbo limbo like me stick hit sound and the ship like it ready stick hit sound and the dark still steady limbo limbo like me long dark deck and the water surrounding me *long dark deck and the silence is over me ^fab8a1

limbo limbo like me ==stick is the whip== ==and the dark deck is slavery== stick is the whip *and the dark deck is slavery ^edcb35

limbo limbo like me drum stick knock and the darkness is over me knees spread wide and the water is hiding limbo limbo like me knees spread wide and the dark ground is under me down down down and the drummer is calling me limbo limbo like me sun coming up and the drummers are praising me out of the dark and the dumb god are raising me up up up and the music is saving me hot slow step on the burning ground."

This poem is taken place when african people were shipped or traded to other countries to be sold as slaves. It highlights the suffering of the innocent people who were beaten on ships as they waited for the worst, hence the name Limbo.

Limbo primarily means a state of waiting or being stuck between 2 places. In Christianity, this means an area between heaven and hell.

References to #Poem

¹ 'long dark deck and the water surrounding me' This reveals the setting which is a deck or boat that is described as unwelcoming or uncomfortable. 'stick hit sound' This likely resembles the harsh sound of an object used to abuse the people, bringing a sense of dread.

² 'stick is the whip and the dark deck is slavery' this directly clarifies that the 'stick' represents the abuse and also directly mentions the theme of slavery.