Honoring Martin Luther King Jr., January 17
Every so often, writers from several venues across South Texas gather to explore a facet of nature or culture. It’s called ‘Writers Take a Walk’ and results have been rewarding. The poem below was inspired from the 2014 Martin Luther King, Jr. March in San Antonio, one of the largest in the nation.
The city bus was free today.
Is that what freedom means?
Yes, and more.
I sat on the Rosa Parks commemorative seat
in honor of her stand.
A man wore a t-shirt that read,
“I am the East Side.”
A kid holds a sign, “I Am a Man.”
And he’s right, he’s no longer a boy
My sign, “Eracism,”
is mounted on a three-foot pencil
complete with eraser.
It’s meant to imply “Erase Racism”
but in this digital age
some think of “Electronic Racism.”
Still, it makes one think.
Images of ideology:
“Man + Woman = Marriage” banner
meets Rainbow Flag.
It could have been a dogma fight.
But everybody was standing
on the side of love,
each in their own way.
We see the senator on stage
standing next to the representative.
The county commissioner meets the mayor.
Must be election year.
Writers take a walk
find a place to sit
on a stoop, in the shade,
and writing begins in earnest
Slogans of King line the march
on signs, on t-shirts, on buildings.
Each quote inspires the next step
– and the next.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
“We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.”
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing to help others?’”
And we march on.
Previously published in the San Antonio Report.
Photo: Pixabay (top) Courtesy of Author (center)
