MLK Day 2016

The sun rises on a day in which

We commemorate

An important figure in American history--

Specifically, the late

 

Martin Luther King, Jr.,

A man to whom we owe

Respect for leading our country out of

The darkness of Jim Crow.

 

At thirty-three years of age

King pressed the case

For civil rights with JFK

And put the movement in place.

 

When only thirty-four years old,

The dreamer touched the nation

With "I Have a Dream," which gained him

Praise and admiration.

 

The Nobel Peace Prize came his way

At the age of thirty-five.

How much more could he have accomplished

If he were still alive?

 

May we be judged, said King, NOT

By the color of our skin,

But by the content of our character.

Freedom lies therein.

 

Bus boycotts, Freedom Rides--

So many people united

To march for rights and to bring more light

To a time dark and benighted.

 

The Voting and Civil Rights Acts

Opened many doors;

And yet the fight for rights continues,

Which clearly underscores

 

The need for constant vigilance

To guard against the suppression

Of equal rights for ALL people.

Let's make a steady progression.

 

King said, Nothing pains some men

More than having to think.

That means we must work all the harder

To try to stay in sync.

 

The sun will set this evening; tomorrow

A new day will dawn.

May the memories of MLK

Continue to live on.

 

(1-18-16)