A poem to the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I thought I would not post this poem until January but then I thought why wait? That is the same reason why I get frustrated with the Black History Month and Hispanic Awareness Month (which isnt even a month!). I like that this poem discusses the word tolerance. I have long hated that word because I think saying that people should be tolerant or that teachers should teach tolerance implies that there is something bad that needs to be tolerated to begin with! I hope that this has meaning for you all. Ugly Words What is happening in America? Not centuries ago beyond the depths of our memories Not on far away shores beyond the reach of our travels But now- in our lifetime Here- in our own backyard Have the words changed? Has discrimination become tolerance? Has hatred blended into acceptance? Has racism turned into color blindness? There was a time when I tolerated taking my little daughter With her brown hair all done up in perfect pin curls To the notary to swear that was she 100 percent white Not dirtied by a drop of imperfection There was a time when I accepted that it was okay for Young girls in carefully pressed clothes, clutching school books Fear in their eyes and strength in their souls To have to be escorted into school by armed guards There was a time when I was blind to why my students of color always stayed in a group It was not in a desperate attempt to stay with their own kind But a desperate attempt to watch each other’s’ backs To protect themselves from the slow to heal blows of hate What is happening in America? Not centuries ago beyond the depths of our memories Not on far away shores beyond the reach of our travels But now- in our lifetime Here- in our own backyard The ugly words still remain
Posted on: Sun, 21 Dec 2014 11:41:48 +0000
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