Poems for Peace & Equality

Civil Memories
To be twenty again,
believing with such fervor,
sure of the way,
committed unto death if need be.
Willing to offer myself without reservation,
to share my talents and hopes
without equivocation.

To be twenty again,
believing change is possible
because I have changed,
believing barriers can be lifted,
distrust transcended
because I have known friendship
across the color line, deep friendship.

To be twenty again
and to know the power
of a social movement
that transforms its participants
as well as the world,
to know I've found a place, a way of life that allows love of God
and commitment to justice
to flourish side by side.

To fall in love again and again
with life and idealism as it manifests
first in one and then another
young man's eyes.
I lived so intensely,
believed so absolutely,
felt so acutely.
I had the energy to do so
and lacked the experience
to feel afraid or use caution.

I grew outside the bounds
of my white, middle class upbringing.
I grew outside the experience
of my professors at college.
There were times of connection
and transcendence,
times of anger
and fear of losing all we'd worked for.
There were times of trust
and times the trust shriveled
in the light of a sharp afternoon.

Oh, to be twenty again
and refuse compromise.
To believe justice is attainable.
That love will replace greed.
To believe people can live
and work in mutual respect for one another.

To be twenty again
and believe it is all possible.

I Am Poems
#1
I am Martin Luther King Jr.
I wonder if the violence will stop.
I hear the cries of oppression.
I see the faces of the segregated.
I am Martin Luther King Jr.
I pretend to not care.
I feel the pain of my brother's and sisters.
I touch the hearts of the injured.
I worry about the future of our people.
I cry to myself when those around me suffer.
I am Martin Luther King Jr.
I understand why they think less of whites.
I say the words of those in anguish.
I dream for a brighter future.
I try to help them.
I hope for blacks and whites to live in harmony.
I am Martin Luther King Jr.

#2
I am Malcolm X.
I wonder why they hate.
I hear the guns being shot.
I see the hoses being used.
I am an African American.
I pretend to not hear them.
I feel the cold bars of the jail cell.
I touch the windows to the outside world.
I worry about our future.
I cry about what I hear.
I am Black.
I understand why people get upset.
I say "stop" but it gets worse.
I dream to all be equal.
I try to make a stand.
I hope hope for equality.
I am am Malcolm X.

#3
I am Martin Luther King Jr.
I wonder when Negroes will be as free as whites.
I hear the cries for equality.
I see the tears of the oppressed.
I am one of the tortured.
I pretend that their painful words do not phase me.
I feel the sorrow of my brothers and sisters.
I touch the oppressors with their own injustice.
I worry for our future.
I cry for our freedom.
I am an American.
I understand their pain.
I say to restrain from violence.
I dream of a truly free America.
I try to protect my people.
I hope for the chains to be broken.
I am America!!!

#4
I am Malcolm X.
I wonder if the world will ever stay segregated.
I hear their organizing for protests and freedom.
I see violence as the answer.
I am Malcolm X.
I pretend I am supreme.
I feel they are unequal.
I touch them with my violence and racism.
I worry about equal rights.
I cry that they should stop.
I am Anti-Freedom.
I understand that violence is the only way.
I say we are deserving of keeping the colors segregated.
I dream they will not get equal rights.
I try to keep everything unequal.
I hope we will keep blacks separate.
I am Malcolm X.