Native Guard Poems by Natasha Trethewey

[matthew mckeon]

Natasha Trethewey has written a Pulitzer Prize winning book of poems entitled "Native Guard Poems"

yes, its that Native Guards, featured here at CWT. Here's is one of her poems,

Southern History

Before the war, they were happy, he
said.
quoting our textbook (This was senior-
year history class.)
The slaves were clothed, fed, and better off under a master's care.

I watched the words blur on the page. No one raised a hand, disagreed. Not even me.

It was late; we still had Reconstruction to cover before the test, and -luckily-three hours of watching Gone With the Wind.
History, the techer said, of the old South-
a true account of how things were back then.

On screen a slave stood big as life: big mouth,
bucked eyes, our textbook's grinning proof--a lie
my teacher guarded. Silent, so did I.

[Capt Coxetter]

Natasha apparently went to school a long time ago.

Capt. Coxetter

[matthew mckeon]

As did so many of us!

I saw "Gone With the Wind" on a school field trip to the Bangor Cinema, around 1970. I can't even remember what grade I was in, but it was elementary school.

[Capt Coxetter]

1970: that was MY first year in college!

Capt Coxetter

[samgrant]

[quote=matthew mckeon]History, the techer said, of the old South-
a true account of how things were back then.

quote]


From Dickens' David Copperfield:

Mr. Dick: "I suppose history never lies does it?"

David Copperield: "Oh dear, no, sir!"

-

[Dred]

I'm not usually big on poetry but.. this one really moved me