Wet nurse

 

Wet nurse 

I’m a wet nurse 

I was forced to feed a white baby 

While my chile was abducted 

My massa fed it to that gators 

He made me watch 

How this ugly creature crushed those 

Little bones 

Cos I refused to feed his chile…

I cried 

I quivered in fear…

His wife watched me 

Like a hawk…

Tears streamin down my cheeks 

They dehumanize me 

So I raised their white chile…

I don’t know what motherhood looks like 

My massa took that away….

Now their baby bonded with me 

and the mistress got mad at me 

Cos her chile chose me instead..

She grabbed a whip, 

and tore my brown skin up…

I took care of her kid properly 

And she got angry….

I was exploited 

Not only that 

Her husband raped me…,

Just to keep the labor goin in the 

South….

I miss my own baby

I can’t get this gator out of my head 

How its consumed my little one…

I saw drips of blood roamin among 

The water….

I can’t say no

To wet nursin…

Or I will die….

I stayed in the house 

Or a cabin….

I was called mammy….

I breastfed many white babies

Across the plantation….

I was too scared 

To run away,

I gave a long hesitation 

To go inside that baby room

Sometimes 

A mistress brought her chile 

To me….

My nipples hurt,

They won’t rest 

Even massa forced me 

To give him some milk….

I was too sad 

I sobbed til I ran out of noise…

My madness grew wrinkles 

On my face…

I have believed 

I’m not a human….

Not a woman

Just breastfeedin machine….

I’m a wet nurse 

I feed my massa’s babies 

Not my own 

They went to the gators….

My mama instincts had been damaged 

For so long I don’t know how to 

Be in a protective mode….

Again 

My massa took all of that away…

Am I supposed to love 

A white chile?

Am I supposed to be like 

His mama?

Though I’m not…..

Mistress doesn’t care 

About her baby….

She worried about 

Her husband runnin 

Around with other enslaved women…

Tryin to keep her figure 

However 

She’s got pissed 

Off cos I stole her chile 

Yet she forced me to 

Breastfeed her baby….

She slapped me 

Cos i said no….

It was her idea 

To snatch my baby 

Away to the gators 

That swam in the swamps…

She didn’t apologize…..

A wet nurse 

Has no say 

No peace

No justice 

Just trauma 

I was forced 

To watch my chile 

Get eaten by gators 

Get chewed….

The last cry I heard 

From my sweet chile 

Killed my soul….

I had no smile 

No light 

Cos 

I refuse to be a 

Wet nurse….

This mistress told me 

To get over it 

To smile 

To laugh 

I never did

I was forced to fake 

And act like nothing happened 

She says,

“Good girl, 

Now feed my child.

I have to watch my body.

and don’t say no anymore 

Or you will be a next meal to the 

Gators!

😢💔✊🏿💯©️ Kai C. 7-5-26