[Applause] there was nothing symbolic about Martin
there was nothing symbolic about Martin
there was nothing symbolic about Martin Luther King being shot no metaphor could
Luther King being shot no metaphor could
Luther King being shot no metaphor could capture the sting a community felt when
capture the sting a community felt when
capture the sting a community felt when yet another assassination tore at the
yet another assassination tore at the
yet another assassination tore at the resolve of folk who lived in their heads
resolve of folk who lived in their heads
resolve of folk who lived in their heads and dreamed of someday and one day a
and dreamed of someday and one day a
and dreamed of someday and one day a bullet can punctuate a movement but I
bullet can punctuate a movement but I
bullet can punctuate a movement but I don’t think about that day not even when
don’t think about that day not even when
don’t think about that day not even when my son comes marching with images of the
my son comes marching with images of the
my son comes marching with images of the man embellished in crayon and the kind
man embellished in crayon and the kind
man embellished in crayon and the kind of exuberance that only youthfulness and
of exuberance that only youthfulness and
of exuberance that only youthfulness and naivete can sustain he wants to tell me
naivete can sustain he wants to tell me
naivete can sustain he wants to tell me about the dream Martin had and the evil
about the dream Martin had and the evil
about the dream Martin had and the evil in the world that took it he runs it all
in the world that took it he runs it all
in the world that took it he runs it all down for me wide-eyed and mortified in
down for me wide-eyed and mortified in
down for me wide-eyed and mortified in these conversations with history where
these conversations with history where
these conversations with history where great men who dared to jut out were
great men who dared to jut out were
great men who dared to jut out were struck down and the gross and
struck down and the gross and
struck down and the gross and proprieties of it all and the incredible
proprieties of it all and the incredible
proprieties of it all and the incredible immorality of it all and the needless
immorality of it all and the needless
immorality of it all and the needless ‘no sand senselessness of it all can’t
‘no sand senselessness of it all can’t
‘no sand senselessness of it all can’t believe how damn ungodly we were he
believe how damn ungodly we were he
believe how damn ungodly we were he needs me to do something about it
needs me to do something about it
needs me to do something about it to wrestle the past down into fairytales
to wrestle the past down into fairytales
to wrestle the past down into fairytales and attach and they all lived happily
and attach and they all lived happily
and attach and they all lived happily ever after at the end but I don’t think
ever after at the end but I don’t think
ever after at the end but I don’t think about that day or the man who steadied
about that day or the man who steadied
about that day or the man who steadied his hand shouldered his rifle and put
his hand shouldered his rifle and put
his hand shouldered his rifle and put Martin in his scope a man who woke up
Martin in his scope a man who woke up
Martin in his scope a man who woke up that morning and ate his eggs and drank
that morning and ate his eggs and drank
that morning and ate his eggs and drank his coffee with a mission statement
his coffee with a mission statement
his coffee with a mission statement curdling his veins a man who knew he
curdling his veins a man who knew he
curdling his veins a man who knew he would take a life that day a big life a
would take a life that day a big life a
would take a life that day a big life a bigger than can be believed life because
bigger than can be believed life because
bigger than can be believed life because all life is bigger than can be believed
and how maybe he showered in silence you
and how maybe he showered in silence you know feeling powerful and intentional
know feeling powerful and intentional
know feeling powerful and intentional and whoever loved him maybe kissed his
and whoever loved him maybe kissed his
and whoever loved him maybe kissed his cheek and said some not at all epic
cheek and said some not at all epic
cheek and said some not at all epic thing to him as he was leaving like hey
thing to him as he was leaving like hey
thing to him as he was leaving like hey don’t forget to pick up some milk on
don’t forget to pick up some milk on
don’t forget to pick up some milk on your way in and how he nodded and knew
your way in and how he nodded and knew
your way in and how he nodded and knew he would obligate history to remember
he would obligate history to remember
he would obligate history to remember him steeped in his own vast set of
him steeped in his own vast set of
him steeped in his own vast set of politics and platforms he set his jaw
politics and platforms he set his jaw
politics and platforms he set his jaw against the hubris of history and he
against the hubris of history and he
against the hubris of history and he squeezed but I don’t think about that
squeezed but I don’t think about that
squeezed but I don’t think about that day or the one that preceded it
day or the one that preceded it
day or the one that preceded it when Coretta must have felt something
when Coretta must have felt something
when Coretta must have felt something catching her back that heavy their steps
catching her back that heavy their steps
catching her back that heavy their steps and pulled her lip down must have gazed
and pulled her lip down must have gazed
and pulled her lip down must have gazed as she did every morning at the man she
as she did every morning at the man she
as she did every morning at the man she married and been struck dumb by how
married and been struck dumb by how
married and been struck dumb by how unlucky they were to be talking out loud
unlucky they were to be talking out loud
unlucky they were to be talking out loud about freedom and what happens when
about freedom and what happens when
about freedom and what happens when people start believing and the women who
people start believing and the women who
people start believing and the women who hung the hopes they had for an entire
hung the hopes they had for an entire
hung the hopes they had for an entire generation on the sermons of a man
generation on the sermons of a man
generation on the sermons of a man Coretta married because he made her last
Coretta married because he made her last
Coretta married because he made her last not the tattered Bible earmarked and
not the tattered Bible earmarked and
not the tattered Bible earmarked and underlined under his arm but because he
underlined under his arm but because he
underlined under his arm but because he made her laugh a deep and rollin laugh
made her laugh a deep and rollin laugh
made her laugh a deep and rollin laugh that moved her to girlishness and wet
that moved her to girlishness and wet
that moved her to girlishness and wet her mouth and smiles naw I don’t think
her mouth and smiles naw I don’t think
her mouth and smiles naw I don’t think about that day or the one after it
about that day or the one after it
about that day or the one after it when Coretta must have had locusts in
when Coretta must have had locusts in
when Coretta must have had locusts in her belly and could see neither
her belly and could see neither
her belly and could see neither mountaintop nor Promised Land over her
mountaintop nor Promised Land over her
mountaintop nor Promised Land over her children’s wailing their small hands
children’s wailing their small hands
children’s wailing their small hands pulling at her skirt needing her to fix
pulling at her skirt needing her to fix
pulling at her skirt needing her to fix it to tell history it made a mistake see
it to tell history it made a mistake see
it to tell history it made a mistake see daddies are supposed to be forever and
daddies are supposed to be forever and
daddies are supposed to be forever and bleeding out and leaving should never
bleeding out and leaving should never
bleeding out and leaving should never have been an option and the gnashing of
have been an option and the gnashing of
have been an option and the gnashing of baby teeth and the fundus mac of a
baby teeth and the fundus mac of a
baby teeth and the fundus mac of a nation’s grief when all Coretta wanted
nation’s grief when all Coretta wanted
nation’s grief when all Coretta wanted – remember what laughing felt like when
– remember what laughing felt like when
– remember what laughing felt like when Martin made her do it and what dreaming
Martin made her do it and what dreaming
Martin made her do it and what dreaming felt like when Martin made her do it and
felt like when Martin made her do it and
felt like when Martin made her do it and what faith felt like and what hope felt
what faith felt like and what hope felt
what faith felt like and what hope felt like and the moments that were replete
like and the moments that were replete
like and the moments that were replete with parable and possibility and she
with parable and possibility and she
with parable and possibility and she still believed she could attach and they
still believed she could attach and they
still believed she could attach and they all lived happily ever after
all lived happily ever after
all lived happily ever after at the end
so now for the gathered faithful for the
so now for the gathered faithful for the ones whose blood moves relentlessly on
ones whose blood moves relentlessly on
ones whose blood moves relentlessly on for the ones who wish to be important
for the ones who wish to be important
for the ones who wish to be important and the ones who know they already are
and the ones who know they already are
and the ones who know they already are for the ones who craned their necks over
for the ones who craned their necks over
for the ones who craned their necks over the sharp edges of midnight and dream
the sharp edges of midnight and dream
the sharp edges of midnight and dream their impossible lives can be fat with a
their impossible lives can be fat with a
their impossible lives can be fat with a sugared revolution I know you I know
sugared revolution I know you I know
sugared revolution I know you I know you’ve been keeping stars in your eyes
you’ve been keeping stars in your eyes
you’ve been keeping stars in your eyes and I know daggers have been at your
and I know daggers have been at your
and I know daggers have been at your throats I know you practice the
throats I know you practice the
throats I know you practice the forgetting of fear too the ones who were
forgetting of fear too the ones who were
forgetting of fear too the ones who were never told that they are worthy of every
never told that they are worthy of every
never told that they are worthy of every good and perfect thing because maybe you
good and perfect thing because maybe you
good and perfect thing because maybe you don’t pray to the God you grew up with
don’t pray to the God you grew up with
don’t pray to the God you grew up with or maybe you didn’t fall in love with
or maybe you didn’t fall in love with
or maybe you didn’t fall in love with the boy you were supposed to or in some
the boy you were supposed to or in some
the boy you were supposed to or in some cases any boy at all I know it ain’t
cases any boy at all I know it ain’t
cases any boy at all I know it ain’t easy
easy
easy I know how hard you try to live a life
I know how hard you try to live a life
I know how hard you try to live a life with enough people in it who will look
with enough people in it who will look
with enough people in it who will look you in the eye and call you by your name
you in the eye and call you by your name
you in the eye and call you by your name I know you never meant to be so symbolic
I know you never meant to be so symbolic
I know you never meant to be so symbolic so sacrificial all of you with your
so sacrificial all of you with your
so sacrificial all of you with your faith that all of this has been a
faith that all of this has been a
faith that all of this has been a rehearsal some strange experiment and
rehearsal some strange experiment and
rehearsal some strange experiment and suffering listen you’re not victims not
suffering listen you’re not victims not
suffering listen you’re not victims not charity cases not histories bad luck
charity cases not histories bad luck
charity cases not histories bad luck accidents so to the holding on ones the
accidents so to the holding on ones the
accidents so to the holding on ones the soon and very soon ones just praise
soon and very soon ones just praise
soon and very soon ones just praise praise your body and the way you woke up
praise your body and the way you woke up
praise your body and the way you woke up this morning praise the miracle and the
this morning praise the miracle and the
this morning praise the miracle and the mess praise the language you were born
mess praise the language you were born
mess praise the language you were born with and the ones you are learning
with and the ones you are learning
with and the ones you are learning praise the opening of the gates
praise the opening of the gates
praise the opening of the gates raise the child you were and the adult
raise the child you were and the adult
raise the child you were and the adult you are becoming praise the becoming
you are becoming praise the becoming
you are becoming praise the becoming praise the journey praised the fight
praise the journey praised the fight
praise the journey praised the fight praise the wherewithall praise the
praise the wherewithall praise the
praise the wherewithall praise the riding of wind without asking permission
riding of wind without asking permission
riding of wind without asking permission praise praise the universe in your
praise praise the universe in your
praise praise the universe in your ribcage praise the trench that taught
ribcage praise the trench that taught
ribcage praise the trench that taught you about darkness and praised the day
you about darkness and praised the day
you about darkness and praised the day you danced in the light
praise the laughter that lives in your
praise the laughter that lives in your belly
belly
belly praise the gardens you can plant in your
praise the gardens you can plant in your
praise the gardens you can plant in your bones praise the bamboo your spine can
bones praise the bamboo your spine can
bones praise the bamboo your spine can become praise the stories you kept and
become praise the stories you kept and
become praise the stories you kept and the ones you didn’t praise your
the ones you didn’t praise your
the ones you didn’t praise your resurrection praise your fists
resurrection praise your fists
resurrection praise your fists in the way you do not use them praise
in the way you do not use them praise
in the way you do not use them praise your fists and the way you know how to
your fists and the way you know how to
your fists and the way you know how to use them
use them
use them praise your mouth your wide-open mouth
praise your mouth your wide-open mouth
praise your mouth your wide-open mouth for how Confessional it is your straight
for how Confessional it is your straight
for how Confessional it is your straight back your unbowed head praise the atoms
back your unbowed head praise the atoms
back your unbowed head praise the atoms and cells that make your body Cathedral
and cells that make your body Cathedral
and cells that make your body Cathedral and praise the otherworldly algorithm
and praise the otherworldly algorithm
and praise the otherworldly algorithm that is your heart especially that
revolution is the sound of your heart
revolution is the sound of your heart still beating so praise
”
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