As It is with Living
Destruction from the 1921 Tulsa race massacre
United States Library of Congress
By Paul Alleyne
TULSA
I can feel the pain you endured 100 years ago
I can see the ashes covering your beautiful face
Hiding your childish tears
The burning fires in your child’s eyes
The smell of death and destruction
As they all suffered the pain of those days
I can hear your thoughts as you say
My life is at an end
My world is at an end
Or so it seemed at the time
But you endured over these hundred years
To be a symbol
To be the carrier of truth
And redemption for us all
To blunt all the lies and half-truth told by so many
Their attempts to erase the horror of those ugly days of hate
But they couldn’t
They couldn’t because you remembered
And for this, I honor you
I love your bravery
Your determination to tell the story
Of TULSA.
This Creek in the Valley
This creek in the valley
Dried, filled with rocks and debris
Winding its way at the base of this mountain range
This creek in the valley was once a raging river
Deep in some parts, shallow in others
The creek was filled with fish and other creatures of the sea, and plants
It fed many who lived along its banks
They bathed and drank its delicious waters
Over time, over time it has dried up
Leaving the remnants of the sea creatures
and even some of the humans that inhabited it
The dried-up creek forced the people who lived along its banks
to leave and find new homes
And now this dried-up creek is inhabited by
those interested in learning its past
Digging, and digging for history’s sake
It’s a tomb of sorts for all that lived here
Sea creatures, animals, humans, and plants
All living and thriving together
And now teaching us about life as it was lived
And perhaps informing our future living.
Paul Alleyne currently resides in Los Angeles, California. In addition to being a visual artist, he is a published author and inventor with an existing patent. His images consist primarily of digital photographs, digital paintings, in both abstract and realism styles. Some may say he has an eclectic style. He has published several books and articles, novel-length fictional narratives, short stories, and poetry.