An Invitation to Remember, a Prayer for All People
A King was born
in January of ’29
a child destined to challenge
the shallow minds of the time
A preacher’s son,
born to parents of faith
this little boy may not have known
that we was born to an important fate
A voice, a presence,
a soul that would preach freedom
he’d soon change the way,
the entire world would see him
a voice of truth,
of a future unfolding
some were afraid,
because their parents had told them
to hate a man
of a different color
ignorantly voicing
the myth of an “other”
this one little boy,
his mother did not know
would lead a nation
to overthrow
the laws that kept
Rosa Parks living
In fear or threat
Just because of where she was sitting
Only 40 years ago
The same time I’ve been breathing
What will our legacy be?
What are we leaving?
This young man Martin
Inspired us to dream
Of all of our children
Being loved and living free
Morehouse and Crozer
Then on to
This son of all people
Would learn from Gandhi too
He’d find passion in peace
Equality his reason
His people were our people
Time to stop the soul treason
Of seeing our brothers
as “less than” or different
Rather than knowing them
as God’s mighty and magnificent
I was still in the womb
when he took his last breath
In
of his teacher’s foretold death
His legacy would be shaped
By Gandhi, his great teacher
of principles of peace and non-violence
that would inspire this prolific preacher
To give voice to the vision
of peace only coming
through passive non-resistance
it would come only through loving
A radical idea, yes
During a time of unrest
He was criticized by many
To do more, to do less
It amazes and saddens me
That in 2009
Why in the world, we still see
Ignorant minds
It just can’t be possible!
That people still believe
That peace comes through war
that violence can free!
I can’t understand
How hatred still lives on
How humanity still believes
That some don’t belong
That we still treat one another
Without any regard
Is a testament to a need
To listen to this new thought
You need to stand for something
Is it fear or is it faith?
To leave hatred behind
and see the whole human race
as children of God
As Sister and brother
Be an activist for love
Stop judging and seeing ONE as “other”
A warrior for peace
Thinks beyond the human mind
Love is the only logic
The only way you’ll find
A story of true hope
And honor King’s dream
Of passing on a legacy
Where all children are born free
From the streets of
to the
we must find a way
to co-create harmony and peace
No matter whom you follow
Christ, Moses or Muhammad
To use religion as a weapon
Is not what God intended
If we are all born as equals
It’s our mission and our purpose
To be missionaries for love
To live lives of selfless service
To see all of humanity
As the same as me and you
To go deep within
Ask, what would God do?
To open our hearts
Set aside stories of hate
The children of war
Have no more time to wait
Gangs in D.C.
Kids carrying glocks
If evil exists
it begins with hatred in our minds
Whether for God or for territory
Destruction is what we find
Be a good husband
Encourage your kids
Mothers and sisters
Love and let live
If Martin or Bobby
could speak out today
what do you think
they would have to say?
Lincoln and Kennedy
Gandhi and Thurman
Voices for all people
For all men and women
The
have we truly lost sight?
Of our own violent history,
a race almost killed just for spite?
All in the name of
righteousness and religion
We stole all their land
And orphaned their children
Have we not learned
from the past and grown wise?
Isn’t it time
that we open up our eyes?
To the time laid before us
of consumption and of greed
The old ways of fighting
are not moving us towards free
Now focusing on Moslems,
Gay couples and Immigrants
Who will be next in line?
The next victims of fear and ignorance?
If religion is justifying
The killing of our children
Whose God are you following?
Are you really that willing?
To sacrifice a morality
That should be common sense
One where ALL life is valued
over land, or oil, or cents
I just can’t imagine
God smiling upon
Brothers killing each other
and thinking they have won
As Martin, the King
the preacher, the man
Said once and so often
And followed HIS Plan
He said life is unworthy
Without something to die for
This is different then killing
Because your leaders abhor
another race, or religion
lifestyle, or gender
It’s all abuse of one’s Self,
and we must pause and wonder
How can I be peace, in action today?
How can I give voice, to a different way?
What can I do, to share love in the world?
How can I live, what I silently pray?
Choose who you are
Today! Here and now!
Make our fallen heroes
Live on and be proud
Forgive the unforgiven
Let go of the past
Stop envying others
Be grateful for what you have
Live a life of meaning
Grow in your faith
That one day we’ll choose
To live as one human race
I know this is long
But there’s a lot to say
So, let’s make January 20th
A new dawn, a new day
In honor of this man
This one fallen King
Make a decision today
To let freedom ring
Our children need something
To inspire and uplift
To give them a reason
To care how they choose to live
To honor each other
The planet, our home
To stop all the killing
Let all free men roam
In a world where we live
According to a higher law
One already written
For One and for ALL
Love thy neighbor
Be the shining light
Lay down your weapons of faith
Give up the losing fight
Value all people
All religions, all creeds
God created us all
To be happy and free
If this doesn’t resonate
You might need to rethink
What you have come to believe
How you’ve come to think
That anyone is better,
Or less, than you
Is a mythology of ignorance
It just simply isn’t true
Compassion and empathy
brotherhood and faith
It’s time to Unify
The whole human race
And as Martin King would agree
I am sure, without a doubt
It starts deep within
By cleaning up your own house
Resolve your own conflicts
Don’t start any new wars
Face up to your prejudices
Take an honest inner tour
Of all your beliefs
that support fear and exclusion
Admit your own ignorance
of where you draw false conclusions
Challenge the parts of you
that are angry and bitter
get over it and on with it
be a better leader
Walk what you talk
Move beyond thoughts of lack
be honest and hopeful
refrain from attack
Love bigger, forgive often
Don’t hold a grudge
Examine the places within you
That automatically judge
You are the creator
And created as well
It’s simple, not easy
To be proud when you tell
of the story of your life
To your children and to theirs
of the legacy you are leaving
of the life you wish to share
It’s time, here and now
Not tomorrow or next year
To re-create our history
Move beyond our fears
I only have one little thing
Left for me to say
On January 20th
Let us come together and pray
That we can all come behind
This new President called Obama
A man of great hope
A family of earned honor
Set aside your claim
To bipartisan views
Know the time is now
The time for us to choose
A new way of unity
Of healing and prosperity
We are rewriting history
For a vision of posterity
You and I, we’re not so different
My children and yours
They deserve to have a chance
To live absent of war
We are supposed to be the grown ups
To be the teachers, the wise
Let go and let God
Buddha,
White, black, and red
Yellow and brown
A United Nation of all colors
A voice of One sound
If all the great teachers
Were able to share
How they’ve evolved in their understanding
We would probably hear
A slightly different message
One that needed to evolve
A message not for one group
Rather, a message for all
You get to decide
You get to choose
Who you want to be
What you are willing to lose
Identities of us, them,
you, and me
Be reborn into a new actuality
Into an identity of WE
On January 20th
Of two thousand and nine
The whole world will be watching
Of what we do with this time
How we choose to come together
On behalf of the whole
And make Martin Luther King
Proud of reaching his goal
Free at last, free at last
It has only been a dream
We can make it a new reality
Come together without seams
A cloak of one fabric
A tapestry of change
Let hope be your guide
Our beliefs re-arranged
One people, One faith
In Humanity reborn
To a world without borders
Countries no longer torn
By violence and prejudice
We face a brand new day
A world of peace and unity
Of living the power of our way
Written on January 13, 2009 by Anita Pathik Law, author of The Power of Our Way; A Path to a Collective Consciousness, for all People of the World.
Please visit www.thepowerofmywaymovie.com and www.powerofmyway.com/believeitandbefree.html and share this poem and these movies freely.
Be Peace, Speak Peace, See Peace, Know Peace…
Namasté, Anita
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