07/03/2025
Monologue script-F. Jay Murphy
"NOOSE SENSE"
Being born is hard work, sometimes you don't have a choice In living or dying, ol' massa
choose for ya, skin bakin' in heat, like grapes sacrlflced, life ain't just cotton
pickin' ,muddied in da trenches, death's filth is moist in the soil, an I got my bare feet in
it, look what I done got my bare feet in, sweatin' in my bruises .... jus' a dog gone
nuisance, I remember me and momma in dem fields, pickin and pickin and pickin, we'd
drag dam bags, jus' as heavy as I am hangin in this here tree, momma say boy you
alright? An' I say yes ma'am, ain't tired yet, lord oh lord! Bein' born is hard work, an
white folk get mad wen da work ain't done, they mad wen us ni**as get free, yea they
go fetchin', bring some ni**as back, like orrunaway me, look! What I done got my bare
feet in, oh they whip me real good, til I can't feel no mo' pain, I still feel my blood runnin
down my back, my mama and papa would sing and sing til they couldn't sing no more, I
suppose dat was to take away their pain, swing low sweet chariot, comin forth to carry
me home, I suppose I'll be goin' home to meet my blessed Lord, oh Lordi, they got me
in this here tree, massa didn't take too kindly me kissln on Ms. Sue Ella, didn't mean to
cause no trouble, forgive me dear God, look at me In this here tree like your son Jesus,
why being born so hard Lord? Takin' a man's llfe so easy, Ilka Jesusl But he came
back, for me ain't no comin' back, but I pray dat my people get free and rise up and stop
sheddin blood on white man's hands, no more breakin ya backs taking dat load, no mo'
ya children to be sold, as I look down from this here tree, I ain't seen so many devils
around me, just above hell's pit, look what I done got my bare feet in, I, I remember my
sweet Iii' Tess, she heard drums one night, and she went to get free, an took off just as
fast as a man's eyes can see, she free, oh Lord! Being born is hard work, we been
tortured, beaten like animals, to be free oh to be free! Sweet like Ms. Emma blueberry
pie, when we work hard we get a slice, Ms. Sue Ella took a liken to me an sneak me a
extra slice, even sat down a spell to teach dem youngins to read, if massa found out
ni**as was readin they skin every last one, I'd say Ms. Ella I thank ya an all but I jus
don't want no trouble, and she say ain't no hann these here children just like my own,
being born been so hard, life don't go but so far, from a bam to da fields to this here
tree, I carried my cross through murky swamps, it has kept me thus far, from da goin up
of da sun to da goin' down of da same, never knew my labor be In vain, what they do to
me come with a price, one day my people will remember, wen they get free, they whips
will not swing an bum an sting, no more will we bleed, dam guns won't shoot an kill an
spoil our hope of headin north following dam drums my Tess hear, negroes will be
called by their name, my name Jumah, it mean born on Friday, Massa call me David,
wen I die tell dam Jumah hung in this here tree, I shall die Jumahll I pray my children an
my children's children an they children never let white man take away they name, if you
are Kahlil you are Kahlil! If you are Malek, you are Malek! If you are Zaid, you are Zaidi
An if you are Jumah, always be Jumah. My time's on God's time now, jus waitin on his
call, I done had my bare feet in it too long, time to go home, if I must die to get free,
then let me die, let me free, my life been less than a house nigga's dream, but I saw my
children walk ,talk, an be kind to white folk, an they done learned how to love, dats
enough for me, yea I'm close to heaven, closer than my tears to my face slowly rollin'
off my cheek, but I don't feel no ways tired ...... I come too far from where I started
from ..... nobody told me the road ....... would be easy .. An I don't believe ... he brought me
th is far ... to leave me ..............
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