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Monday, January 21, 2013

Claiming Martin – v2



An echo, a moment, this moment
claiming Martin, his memory, his cause
as our own, our nation changing,
moving toward his hoped for conclusion

Electing a president, someone to lead
who would not have been given respect
not so long ago, who would have been
as Martin, as so many, outcasts in our land

Claiming his mantle, so many, seeing
maybe for the first time, the equality,
the shared community which he prayed for
all people, all creeds, all colors

Rising in unison, one nation, honoring both men
on Monday, on Tuesday, this coming week
a healing, wounds bound up, a salve, a balm
starting a process he longed for, worked for, his life

A different land than he knew, beginning again
a dream, an oath, a nation moving forward
all of us, to some extent, invoking,
claiming Martin as our own


----
edited January 18, 2016
Claiming Martin – v4
(editing version 3)
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
edited January 19, 2015
Claiming Martin – v3
(merging edits to version 1 and version 2)
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 40,710+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

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