A Day In The Life Of (A Night, Perhaps.)

I woke again this morning in a cold sweat. Recently I have struggled with images from my youth. Nightmares of of my "servitude" to my black mistress. Never in my life had I once considered anyone or myself to regard myself as lower than a slave, but I repeatedly struggle with the hardships of my past including my illnesses, starvation... The slaves, they took pity on me. Their sweet souls snuck me food and made an amazing effort to deliver letters to my father. I was finally rescued of course, and this event is long since in the past, however it still haunts me. I remember the slave vessel and how men women and children were packed in tight and orderly "shelves" like books. The sickness I had for their suffering, and the sickness I had for the smell. It was like offal rotting in the back alley of the butcher shop. Oh Lord, ease my suffering, forgive me, and continue to bless me as I struggle with the sins of my past.