Oppression is
A river dammed
Who's water
Seek freedom.
Too long
We have accepted
America's Apartheid
As the norm.
Based on
Economic religious
And political dogma
Encouraging intolerance
And ignorance.
On August 28, 1963
One of the last century's
Greatest speech for freedom
Struck a blow
Against this state.
As Rev Martin Luther King Jr
Delivered "I Have A Dream" speech
Before the Lincoln Memorial
During the "March on Washington
For Jobs and Freedom."
All people benefit
And not
Just a select few.
Want to say
Rev King's words
Destroyed this
Repression.
Unleashing
A tsunami of liberties
Displacing this brackish waters
That America drowns in.
Sadly
Breaches been repaired
Building ever higher.
Entrapping
Even greater population
Seeking the "promised land"
Rev King spoke of.
Finding a blighted
Drought stricken land
Instead.
As Americans
Celebrate Martin Luther King Day
On January 20, 2020.
Therisa © 2020
Author’s note: Written for Earthweal’s weekly prompt: Water.
6 comments:
One of the best political speeches of all time. It still gives me chills when I hear his voice.
"Unleashing
A tsunami of liberties
Displacing this brackish waters
That America drowns in."
Well said.
That speech makes me cry now....we all had such dreams, and are now living a nightmare, which I sincerely hope ends this year, so we may dream and have hope once more. Lovely to see you at Earthweal, Therisa.
You've used water beautifully in this poem--longing for flood of freedoms, but finding drought, and "Oppression is
A river dammed
Who's water
Seek freedom."
Stopping oppression from racists and those who fear fluidity and those who deny climate change--all this would require that the damming stop. It's good to see you here and responding to my poem as well!
We are a desert folk, aren't we? So long habituated to the dry distance that we think there's nothing wrong. America is so, so far from its foundational truths. Thanks --
Yes, freedom in all forms. This is beautiful Therisa! I love the analogy in this!!
What Susan said!! Well penned, Therisa. There is more than one kind of drought we have to worry about in this country.
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