Poetry

I'm truly blessed
to be counted
amongst the 
trooping pilgrims
walking dusty roads,
negotiating rocky 
Himalayan trails 
on the way 
to the mountaintop.

Together
as brothers 
and sisters,
we traverse
precarious paths,
strengthening
each other,
bucking up,
getting a 
second wind
to make that 
final push 
to scale the most
jagged boulders
that lie nearest 
the peaks.

I'm heartened
to see 
Dorothy Day,
Mahatmas Gandhi, 
The Dali Llama, 
Nelson Mandela
and Johnny Cash,
trooping along side me;
keeping me in step
as we press on to 
the promised land.

If I get hungry,
Dorothy will
serve me soup
to feed my
spirit.

If I get lonely,
Mahatmas will 
muster up a posse
welling deep within
the salt of the earth
to walk with me.

If I take a 
wrong turn,
The Dali Llama's
smiling eyes
and sage
advise
will get
my feet
back on the
right path.

On this
tiresome journey
if my will begins 
to falter and my 
commitment wanes, 
Nelson will remind me 
to endure the trial
with the grace 
of fortitude.

And if we enter
dangerous canyons,
filled with the
cacophony of
boisterous hate,
The Man in Black
will strum his
guitar to quell
the angry noise
and fill all hearts
with a loving harmony.

We're on our way
to Freedom's Land
and some believe
we're almost there.

We can see 
Martin looking
over those last 
jagged ledges,
he's got a prayer
of encouragement 
on his lips,
and he's waving
Mrs. Liberty's torch,
showing us
the way,
guiding us 
home.

Sweet Honey on the Rock:
Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around

MLK Jr. Day
1/16/12
Oakland
jbm