Miscellaneous:

[sagesweetwater]

Let me take you from this
sweatshop, Saffron, this
sweatshop who dresses all of
you workers in identical blue-gray
uniforms and insist you all park
your bicycles neatly, front wheels
pointing in the same direction.

A labyrinth linking the bloody
wars of the world of diamond
mines where you work, security
guards standing over you, where
you have been living on illusion
that one day a "big stone" will
free you from misery.

Saffron, you're enslaved to the
bloody, terrorized world of
"blood" diamonds, a vicious
rebel army systematically hacking
off limbs, their rebel control of
rich diamond fields, why you're
little more but a slave, the tarnish
luster of the diamond industry,
a victim of the Revolutionary
United Front.

Let me take you from this
sweatshop, Saffron, to where
eagle and hawk will free you,
don't watch the calculator fly
across the table, they tell you,
"poor today, a millionaire
tomorrow."

Your odds of scoring that
diamond are five million to one,
when you bend over to tie your
shoelace, the rebel army will
hack off your leg, why you're
little more but a slave.

Let me take you from this
sweatshop, Saffron, to where
eagle and hawk will free you
from the diamonds, "blood"
diamonds that back international
loans, pay debts, pay bribes, buy
drugs, buy arms, a mecca for
money launderers that can be
easily moved and sold elsewhere.

Diamonds are conducive to
secrets, eagle and hawk are
free to fly openly. Diamonds
give no clue as to where on or
in the earth they originated.
Eagle and Hawk originated from
the Spirit

Let me take you from this
sweatshop, Saffron, to where
eagle and hawk will free you
before it's too late and you
start to smuggle stones across
the border where your slaughter
will quickly ensue.

Let me take you from this
sweatshop, Saffron, to where
eagle and hawk will free you.


Copyright 2006 Sage Sweetwater, firebrand lesbian novelist
http://www.authorsden.com/sagesweetwater
http://www.myspace.com/sagesweetwater
http://home.earthlink.net/~sagesweetwater

[PaintedDiary]

Dear Ms Sagesweetwater...first and foremost the painting....Oooo the painting is beautiful. I have read about this subject matter some time ago. I am just amzed at the wealth and depth of which you write. Does this piece have a personal connection or significance, if I may ask?

Painted

[sagesweetwater]

I was motivated to write this poem through my research on the blood diamonds, in Angola where human lives are taken and diamond workers maimed or worse, swathed in bloody bandages, gunfire and grenade, ravaged in civil strife "conflict" diamonds that slave labor unearth that finance the desperate efforts of rebel warlords, where the rebel Sierre Leone army control the rich diamond fields and hack off arms and legs, a horrified industry, why I BOYCOTT diamonds. If people only knew where they come from and the violence involved! Slave labor too!

Sage

[nomadicrhymer]

Awesome write, Sage....SUCH a LONG history behind all this...I can't understand the fascination with jewelry, since I don't wear any, but even so, most people don't care how they're harvested...only if they will be able to get what they want. The world revolves around selfish people....still! Brilliantly emotive piece!!

Nomad

[sagesweetwater]

Hi nomadicrhymer,

Thanks for your reply! Even people don't know what they are buying in Native American jewelry because the sellers say it is "Indian-made" which is not truly authentic Indian jewelry, so they hire impoverished Native Americans on the Reservations to re-string heishi bead necklaces so they can call it Indian-made. The Indian who does this work is not doing their Native American community any good by this false representation. I have this documented in my next novel, BLUE CORN WOMAN to be released hopefully this summer sometime. Take care of you...Blessed Be...

Warmly,

Sage

[MsJacquiiC]

Yeah - I'm lovin' that painting - Exquisite actually! Kinda like this poem. This poem is "soft" if you will - There's a soft pleading of sorts - A freedom chant or sorts - But the wisdom is flowing like "Saffron's" brown locks.

The Following Text Is Quoted:

Diamonds
give no clue as to where on or
in the earth they originated.
Eagle and Hawk originated from
the Spirit

This is simply beautiful to me. Especially after having recently seen the movie Blood Diamonds.... Treacherous trade! But there's wisdom in your words MS SAGE - soothing actually. A soothing, melodious freedom-chant.

Quite nice really! And I think I hear ya - I'd rather the rare yellow sapphire anyday! Truly!
Inspiring write - makes for a very nice read!
Thanx for sharing this one with us SAGE

Jacquii.

[Jeez]

Ms Sage...,

Your write tells us
of such pain because
of greeds.

Still... ' will have no
sparkles of hard coal.

Only the glimmer of
you beaming from
my eyes.

Thanks for the
read.