I Ran For You

Stolen from a sweet, proud land,

Fertile and full of promise,

I stand before you now,

Taken from all we knew,

To work on foreign soil,

Row by row by row,

By the threat of the lash.

So I ran.

15 and full of fear,

I ran.

For me,

And for you,

For a better tomorrow,

I ran,

Looking to the birds,

Flying to and fro,

So noble and so free,

I ran, hoping I could fly,

But knowing, maybe not.

Too soon,

It could have been.

But if not me,

You.

I ran for me,

But I also ran for you.

I ran so I could fly,

And I ran so you could too.

So fly, my precious one,

Fly.

Because I ran for you.