The Transatlantic Progress of Sugar in the Eighteenth Century

<sup>I own I am shock’d at the purchase of slaves,

And fear those who buy them and sell them are knaves...

I pity them greatly, but I must be mum,

For how could we do without sugar and rum?

— William Cowper, from “Pity for Poor Africans”</sup>

oh

peerless

smell of cane

cloud on triangular

horizon whip trilling a red

aria molasses the smelling hull

& chained bones the practical sharks

trailing hoping for new bodies overboard

(dark/

dark/pale/

dark/pale/dark/

dark/exchange/fresh/

exchange/flesh/exchange/

fresh/blood/blood/blood/blood/

dark/dark/pale/dark/pale/dark/exchange/

flesh/exchange/fresh/exchange/flesh/blood)

&

the sea

taste blessed rape

hollowed burn & brand

some girls mostly boys this holy

trinity of “godless dirty savages” island

patois rum down a throat lump in some tea

science of journey & the peerless smell of cane