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.
No comments:
Post a Comment