Might Not Racism Cut Both Ways

January 18, 2016

Dear Subscriber:

Each week we examine a theme from a variety of points of view. The theme for this week is racism and race in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday.

Today’s poem is a name poem for Martin Luther King, Jr. about the dangers of racial hatred.

I welcome comments on my poems at http://nicholasgordon.blogspot.com.

Yours,

Nick Gordon

Might not racism cut both ways?
All are crippled equally by hatred.
Racist rage consumes the darkest days,
Taking with it all one sees as sacred.
In all of us that ancient fire still smolders,
Needing but a bit of breeze to flare.
Let Atlas bear the world upon his shoulders:
Under all that love, the hate's still there.
Then what is one to do but know one's heart,
Hating hatred in a wash of tears,
Even as one's world is torn apart,
Rage raging all around one, stoked by fears?
Know that, white or black, your rage is wrong,
Incinerating all that you desire.
Nor will that rage light up your days for long,
Given the proclivities of fire.

© by Nicholas Gordon

Hear or watch me recite the poem and listen to the music I chose for it at http://www.poemsforfree.com/mightn.html . For more poems for Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday, go to http://www.poemsforfree.com/martinlutherkingpoems.html .

This week’s theme: Racism and Race.
Jan. 18: Might Not Racism Cut Both Ways