The Peale's storytelling program launched in the summer of 2016, in conjunction with the MuseWeb Foundation. The storytelling program is a new way to discover the people and places of the city, as told by the residents of Baltimore. To date, we have shared more than 1,400 stories online, through live events at the Peale, and in Baltimore’s communities.
Mama Linda Goss is the Peale's storyteller-in-residence, as well as a performer in the African diasporic oral tradition. She is a co-founder of the National Association of Black Storytellers, which works to preserve folk traditions. Every month, she shares a poem with the Peale, as part of her collection of stories, "Mama Linda's Chapbook."
Mama Linda Goss: Morning Bell Prayer. Ding, dong, ding. Awake, awake our hearts and sing. Save us. Save us. Save us, oh Lord, save us. Save us. Save us from ourselves. Save the trees. Save the raspberry leaves. Save us from ourselves. Save the butterflies. Save the beehives. Save us from ourselves. Save the afflicted. Save the addicted. Save us from ourselves. Save the abused and the falsely accused. Save us from ourselves. Save the birds and the kind words. Save us from ourselves. Save the youth. Save the truth. Save us from ourselves. Save us. Save us. Save us, oh Lord, save us. Save us. Save us from ourselves. The new year has come. There is work to be done. Save us from ourselves. Ding, dong, ding. Ding, dong, ding.
Asset ID: 2021.02.03
Poem Copyright © 2021 by Linda Goss
Find a complete transcript on the Peale's website.
