42
Jackie Robinson's fist clasped in anger
From the darkness of confusion
His eyes wept pain
From the tireless ashes of death.

Blank stares, sacrificed his dignity
Questioning the fairness of the game.
Unkind words whispered in the wind
Defending the meaning of disposition.

He grasped dignity
And challenged integrity.
He redefined purpose,
By demanding respect.

His spirit emerged hope in fairness
For all humanity to share.

Marvin Gaye
A talent
A humanist of unspoken wisdom
A sacrifice of spoken word.
Spoken verses of love and Christianity
Words visible to the secular world.
Transforming American society
With mainstream society.
Crossing the color line of segregation
"What's Going On?"
Black youth/black power.
An invaluable passion
A vision of hope visible to the world.

Martin Luther King Jr.
He had a holy vision
Far from darkness and the isolation of insanity.
His purpose involved a spiritual salvation
A sacrifice for humanity
By offering the serenity of peace.
The anointed one of mediated prayer
Could heal the souls of the oppressed
From the scorched traditional roles of opposition.
He delivered us from darkness
To discover the mighty stream of equality
A visionary, pulpit of hope
Upon faith has set us free.

Music salivates in passionate emotions
Harmoniously and in praise
A slow hissing sound wondering here and there
Rolling notes of confusion escaping distance
A sauntering hidden sound of loneliness
Sound mediating lost thoughts of compromise
Sound suspending words into open space
Floating notes amongst the stars
Wings pressed against the sky
Fading sound in and out of distance
Tongue licking the sky
A saxophone murmuring cries
Fading sound in and out of matter
A guitar crossing thumb notes
Invisible sound to the universe
A piano lullaby quietly plays

A city is free
Fire blazes unfurled
1969
The angry tired souls
A riot sprung
A protest launched
A last hope redeemed
Red, grey colored sky
Marked baron streets
Hate, denial, betrayal
In West Las Vegas
A broken, separate, drought passage
From a dark, scary past
Rusted and shackled
A hideous, hidden fear revealed
The day voices were heard
The day our leader died
We all cried
Even in Vegas

American culture
The only life I know
The battleground of hate
An addiction of barriers
The disease of containment
A yearning reality
Evolving hope
Liberating minds
Demanding change
The power, the money, politics
An addiction that cripples the soul
Self-employment, ownership, bureaucracy
Wanting our voices heard
Blocks, sections, divisions
Educating minds
Crippling desire of needs
Transcending a generation
Developing young minds
Pop culture, hip hop, cyber tech
Changing lives
Against violence, welfare, unemployment
Power, money, liberation
An ideology of principals
Exploring options
Exchanging ideas
Making progress
The fabric of our culture
A nickel, a dime, a penny
Street life
The only life I know

Shake Loose my Skin
I feel
Your cries
Beaded tears of joy
Falling
In cloud of darkness
Far away
Quietly dying
I met you half way