
I had no idea that this Pieces of Poetry #4 would fall on the 4th day of the 4th month, the same date that we lost our peaceful leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
This quote by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on December 11, 1964 was part of his Nobel Peace Prize Lecture, “The Quest for Peace and Justice.” He said, “The richer we have become materially, the poorer we have become morally and spiritually. We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers.”
Pieces of Peace for our King
We have learned to fly the air like birds
and swim the sea like fish
but we have not learned
the simple art
of living together as brothers.
We judge one another
while looking into eyes mirroring ourselves
We label to better define
that which needs no definition
We are divided
not only by those who seek division
but by our own selfish needs
to box beauty, brains, and beliefs.
All that we have accomplished
never matches achievements
in heart and spirit.
If our melanin still threatens
and our strengths weaken
we have attained nothing.
I pray for the day
when humanity’s moral and spiritual heart
beats louder than the drumming
of egos and property.
Very moving
Thank you for reading.