the eye of  God is planted between  my brow the eye of God is
      opening  at the top of  my head the  eye of God was made with
      blood, was made from the hands of an ungodly master the eye
      of God pierced my head in two  the eye of God said look and I
      saw  it the eye of God showed me  rivers and fields  and trees
      that  would  shelter me  on  my  way  the  eye of God told me I
      would  not  be enslaved  the  eye  of  God  showed  me all the
      shades of my humanity showed me how to see my people my
      people  my  people are the eye of God, too my  people  bloom 
      from my brow my people are the top of my head and the soles
      of  my feet  my  people  are made  with  blood  my people  are
      hurting  at  the  hands  of an  ungodly  master  my people have 
      pierced  me  in  two  my  people said look  and I  saw them my
      people  showed me their blood in the rivers my people showed
      me their blood in the fields my people showed me their bodies
      in  the trees and  the shelter I could  make for them on my way
      my people  told  me they were not enslaved my people showed
      me all the shades of my  humanity my  people showed me how
      to  see  my people how to see my God my God and  my people 
      are made of the same cloth the  same blood my people showed
      up  in my  vision  and  I said  oh God show me how  to  make  a
      way—

Credit

Copyright © 2025 by Ashley M. Jones. Originally published in Poem-a-Day on January 22, 2025, by the Academy of American Poets.

About this Poem

“This is one of five linked poems about Harriet Tubman which I wrote as a part of a collaboration with composer Dr. Rebekah Griffin Greene for our orchestral piece, A Portrait of Harriet. Tubman has been my guide: A poem about her revealed my calling as a poet, and her humanity has been an example to me. This poem explains the truth that God is everywhere. As a Black person, God is found within us and in our revolutionary movements. There is no separating God from a radical liberation and a complete denouncement of colonial gestures, violences, and beliefs.”
 —Ashley M. Jones