Poem by my cousin Dawn In memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. and to commemorate his holiday this year in 2015, Im passing along a poem that I wrote years ago and that which Ive read at many poetry readings, Black History Month events, Schools, etc. and shared with many others since; it is in my book: My Poetry is a Window Into My Soul (book was published in 2005, but no longer in print; this poem was written before 2005 publication of my book.) This poem is called: A Kings Journey: The poetic Story of Martin Luther King, Jr. Some of you have asked if I write poetry, so I thought I would share this with you. You may are it with others if you wish...... Dawn “A King’s Journey: The poetic Story of Martin Luther King, Jr.” Written by Dawn I. West I Commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. on his birthday/holiday (and any other day); I use the “voices of Angels” to “sing” how he lived in a special way. This poetic story is what I imagine some of his life would say: One day Atlanta, Georgia bore a little boy who delivered to his parents much pride and joy. He was born on January 15, 1929, but no one knew of his greatness at the time. He was born Michael, but his name became Martin, and he was surely a “King”— he was a special human being. He grew into a kind man with a gentle soul, and he led with a spiritual heart to reach his goal… Whenever humanity would distastefully unfold, he spread out his blanket of truth, grace and dignity; he broke the chains that linked the barriers of inequity... He worked to improve humanity for posterity. He embraced the world like a peaceful dove; he wrapped humanity with forgiveness and love. He was borne into a modern version of a “newborn king”, when the “Angels” gathered in holy concert to “sing”. They “sang” his praises to prepare us and to predict him, as they told the story of this juniorMartin Luther King. The Angels “announced” his birth and how he earned his wings: (The Angels sing the story of King…) ‘The world just received a special gift— his purpose is to speak to humanity, to mend the rift. He is a child who will become an honorable man; he will have character and strength— he will take a stand. As he lead his black people, he will not forget any other race; he will demand equality for blacks, to close the unequal space. He will remind the world that America was built from scratch, from the enslaved labor and other contributions of many blacks… Still, he will not hate anyone, he will not discriminate. He will be the conqueror of such cowardly hate. He will man the ships that determine his fate. He will be captain of his soul, and lead his crew to a lofty goal. He will peacefully and strongly fight, to end the plight of denied human rights. This will require all of his human might… He will place civil rights on its rightful, honorary pedestal. His voice will resonate with truth to defeat inequity’s trouble. He will speak for the unspoken for— America’s “voice-less”. He will decide for the unaccounted for— those denied choices… He will not be afraid to show the tears that will stream freely from his eyes. For his courage, in 1964, he will win the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize… He will lead oppressed people out of the reign of despair; he will doggedly fight for their right to be treated equally and fair. He will obey the bible and love his enemies just as dear, but he will not bow to bullies or cowards or bend to fear… He will square-off in war with the bullies of racial discrimination, and he will win the battles of this war with skill and determination. He will make leaders accountable to the “masses”. He will teach the evils of divided and unequal “classes”… He will preach to the Nation and his own congregation, that separate is not equal—just unfair segregation… He will ask the Nation to walk the path of righteousness along with him— in his quest for world peace, love and equality for all of his human kin. He will tell others not to follow him, but to help one another defeat hate’s sin. He will exhibit strength and many will respect his power; he will demonstrate his character up to his last hour. He will remain a legend, high as a Tower. For all of his mettle, he will be a true Hero, for so many tomorrows; many years after his death will continue to bring deep sorrows. He will find strength in prayer and he will minister to people as a preacher. He will be articulate and passionate— a great orator, a profound speaker. He will be eloquent and compassionate, and he will be a great leader. He will be a deep thinker, a “spiritual philosopher”, a demonstrative teacher. “I Have a Dream” he will poetically and emphatically say, to a crowd of many thousands on a hot, summer day… So, August 28, 1963, will be a defining moment and a historical date. He will give shape and definition to the words activist and advocate. He will receive world recognition, as he defends the victims of hate. He will still be a humble man, inhabiting his own human flaws. He will ultimately risk his safety and life for this worthy cause. He will fight until his last breath, for truth and justice to prevail. He will fight for freedom, even after he’s unjustly thrown in jail. He will be a role model, a Hero and certainly brave— he will be the symbol of hope for his ancestor, the slave.’ (The Angels temporarily stop singing…) Here, the Angels stopped singing, but not for too long, as they started to cry. Their angelic voices now somber, continued in song as they explained why— they sadly said “it is time to say goodbye.” Then, they predicted his untimely demise: (The Angels resume their message in song…) ‘His time will come to a cruel, abrupt end, then the world will lose a special friend. It will be an unforgettable date—April 4, 1968, because, he will meet the cruelty of his fate. There will be bullets that lead to his assassination, and the world will suffer as much as his Nation. In 1983, he will be officially designated a Holiday for the Nation to remember … his earthly stay… He will want his dream to become a reality— to prevent hate’s evil from ruling with finality. He will be an extraordinary, yet flawed human. He will best be known to the world as a good man’. Here is when the “Angels” herald-song ends, as the Angels continue to weep. The world lost a special friend, but Martin Luther King, Jr. is peacefully asleep. He left behind his wife and children and the world to carry on his legacy to promote love, world peace, harmony and of course, human equality… This is the story that I imagined some of his life would tell. Martin Luther King, Jr. sacrificed and served humanity well. This poem: A Kings Journey: The poetic Story of Martin Luther King, Jr. is in my poetry book: My Poetry is a Window into My Soul written by me, Dawn I. West. I have it in Chapter 2: African American History: Past and Present; pages 49-53 of this book. This is one of many poems in my book; my book is 190 pages (with enlarged lettering to accommodate those with some vision loss). This book has been out of print for a few years now (at this time).
Posted on: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 11:26:38 +0000
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