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Thursday, August 28, 2008

Just Beyond the Horizon

In some ways, he is standing
on their shoulders, fulfilling
their dreams, his dream
made real, in this moment
this fragment of time

Their histories converging, joining
two speeches, one this night
one just beyond the horizon
just outside my memory,
beyond his memory too
those forty-five summers ago

Turning a page, on our nation’s history
unimaginable that day
alive in this special night
both giving voice to their hope
their faith, their prayer for this land

Their words echoing, ringing
merging in our minds, our hearts
a dream, a journey, a down-payment
inexorable progress, committed now,
like water through a crack in a dike
a torrent, open waters, living
freedom achievable for our people
coming for our people, even if,
just beyond the horizon still

=====
edited January 18, 2016
Just Beyond the Horizon – v3
(editing version 2)
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
edited January 19, 2015
Just Beyond the Horizon – v2
August 28, 2008
Just Beyond the Horizon
on the Presidential Nomination acceptance speech by Barack Obama,
the I Have a Dream speech by the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.
on August 28, 1963, and the comments on NPR today of
Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-DC, and
Representative John Lewis, D-GA
&
Edited January 21, 2013
Claiming Martin – v2
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
and his final speech before his assassination
and Inauguration of the President
Barack Hussein Obama
&
&
several poems written in 2009
written January 17, 2009
Claiming Martin
on the juxtaposition of the
80th birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
and the inauguration of Barack Obama
as President of the United States of America
&
edited January 19, 2015
Changing the Wind – v3
(merging edits to original and version 2)
Edited July 22, 2013
“changing the wind – v2”
December 7, 2007
“changing the wind”
Based on the comments of Jim Wallis on
Speaking of Faith, November 29, 2007
He was talking about whether to change politicians
or change the wind, to change the public opinion
which guides politics. He used the example
of President Johnson’s statement to the
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that it would
take 5 years for a voting rights bill but
it actually took 5 months to pass the Voting Rights Act,
after the March in Selma.



All of my poems and photographs are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 40,720+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

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