Oh, sorry, I have no idea about communities feature on hive and how to join the Blockchain poets community. I also don't think it's suitable for me to join any community. After all, I'm not the original author, and I only share these ancient Chinese poems if I am siezed by a whim. For example, when I watch a video on analysing a good ancient poem by chance, I can't help sharing it. Yeah, it took me for a long long time to meet a proper VPN. I know deeply how closed China is to foreigners. To some extent, we can even say China is similar to the so-called Hermit Kingdom: North Korea. I don't know if you have read a book named "In order to live" written by a rather famous North Korean defecter Yeonmi Park. Just as she said in her book:
"The information blockade works both ways: not only does the government attempt to keep all foreign media from reaching its people, it also prevents outsiders from learning the truth about North Korea. The regime is known as the Hermit Kingdom because it tries to make itself unknowable. Only those of us who have escaped can describe what really goes on behind the sealed borders. But until recently, our stories were seldom heard."
Not until a few years ago did I begin to see the world outside online by using VPN! Only God knows how most of VPN work badly! How precious it is for me to get a proper VPN! It seems that I just entered a vast treasure trove---having copious amounts of English-learning resources on Youtube for free! I got a lot of pleasure by following some wonderful free English-teaching videos!
Thank you for teaching me about slavery history so much. For my part, your first poem--The Cotton Road is easier to understand. I have learned a new word: desiccate from it. Another impressive word is teak. The dictionarty shows me that teak is a kind of expensive wood. I doubt why and how the slaves can afford to wear teak shoes. Maybe in the history of south US, teak is very common and cheap, ok？The reason why I am so curious about the wood is because my family have some antique furnitures from Qing Dynasty. Unfortunately, we don't make sure what specific wood they are made of all along. Recently someone told my father that they are the valuable rosewood, so my father hopes to sell part of them at an appropriate price. I'm considering if It is a good idea to share their pictures online later. Of course, if anyone is interested in the antique Chinese furnitures from Qing dynasty, welcome to hit me up!
Now I know Ham Montgomery is the slave's name in the second poem. I didn't realize that his eyes were cut and burned as a punishment for learning to read or teaching others from the beginning. I just guess it is because of being in the dark cellar without sunshine.
I sincerely wish I didn't bother you too much! My question is how to understand "bent out of shape"？What does "jagged blade" mean？Oh, I get it! The owner is scratching his eyes with the jagged blade of a knife! After that, they put the fire near to his bloody eyes again？Remade the light？Unimaginable！
Yeah, I have heard of their blues music. It is said that the famous Elvis Presley created his special music by mixing the blues.
Let me tell you another truth! I read this poem of yours again and again. When I finally realized that "a circle of meat" means "mouth", I smiled in my heart proudly like a naive child. Sometimes reading a good poem is as fun as guessing a riddle! The sentences such as "toes arc up from swollen sores", "flesh aches swallowing sleep, each throb ticking time" are describing the sharp pain so vividly and excellently! I know the feeling of how aches can swallow sleep! God, it is really such a bless to read your great writings for free! I still remember how happy and excited I felt when I read that article: the tale of Mercey Mermaid. I was impelled to take the liberty to leave a comment to you. Except it reminded me of the Wilde's fairy, I was associating your metaphor and vivid description in details with a famous writer named Zhang Ailing who is good at in detail description.
I once read a lot of her short stories(although they are writing in Chinese, the writing style is so similar).
I often marvel at the passion of one Youtube student who always writes the long long comment to our online English teacher. Who knows now I can also write the long comment with great enthusiasm in my broken English？Thanks to the magic of your great work---the real art！Just as you said, "if the poem/article doesn't elicit emotion then it fails as art."