Friday 8 April 2011

Martin Luther King Junior



Image credit: google: chrisabraham.com



We march on with Martin Luther King Jnr
Traversing the streets of Nairobi, Uganda and Tanzania
Singing “we shall overcome”
Marching on through tear gas canisters
Passing through a jet of hot water
In true fashion of satygraha
For the “latter-day-God’s-children”

We march on singing “Haki Yetu”
Infused with the vision of a bright future
Carrying behind us the shadow of maimed souls
Holding in our hearts the bravery of our forefathers
Symbolically walking into our future

We march on with the voices
Dating back to centuries past
Others not heard, tucked away in a nation’s closet
Of bloody past
We march on with voices to be born
Of “brothers’ keepers”
Of “sisters’ keepers”
With fire “shut in their bones”
With  voices true to pin
In a fiduciary capacity
To hold society’s values in trust
We march on through the streets of Nairobi,
Dar-es-Salaam and Kampala
Waving olive leaves
Wearing white gowns
Stepping on pavements in saintly pace
Waving at shops in brotherhood
In unison shouting “Peace”

And at every stop, we demonstrate
Our concern for humanity
The rising food prices
The below-par development
The executions
The corruption

We demonstrate the lost future
Of children unborn
Yet indebted by present-day
Extravagance
We demonstrate the sorrow
Of cancer patients
Persons with HIV/AIDS
Being eaten away
In the periphery, yet
At the centre, they
Have the life-blood

We march on with with Martin Luther King Junior
In satyagraha
To demonstrate the urgency of the moment
To fight for “God’s children”

We march on, undaunted
We march with Luther King Jnr.

C) Lorot Salem 2011

2 comments:

Sherry Blue Sky said...

Salem, he is one of my favorite heroes too. This poem is deeply soul-stirring. I love the flow of the place-names of your country. They are poetry in themselves, to me. And I love the images and emotions that live through your words...."walking with saintly pace".......singing........Your compassion for human beings in all of their difficulties.........Absolutely the very best kind of writing. You inspire!

Salem Lorot said...

@ Ninotaziz, appreciative that you stopped by.

@ Sherry Blue Sky, humbled as always, Koko. Every time I read his speeches and listen to them, there is always something refreshing about them...

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