Let Freedom Reign

Let Freedom Reign
A Haibun

If physical death is the price that I must pay to free my white brothers and sisters from a permanent death of the spirit, then nothing can be more redemptive.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

(Read more quotes from Dr. King here. )

Image labeled for non-commercial reuse.

I believe that freedom is in the hearts of all, as is slavery. Those who are bound to beliefs that limit love and acceptance of others are ensnared. Freedom is within. It is not based on the color of my skin or yours. It is willingness to be open to others, whatever their race or ethnicity or their beliefs. Open wide my heart; set me free.

Mountain waters flow
curling around huge boulders,
free for thirsty souls.

Today, for dVerse Poetics, we welcome a new pubtender: Amaya. She asks us to write an epigraph poem, a poem about freedom or social justice that embeds a quote–that is, the quote itself unfolds in the course of the poem. I misunderstood the prompt–the embedding part, that is, so don’t, Do Not, follow my example. None-the-less, I will link this and in the meantime will see if I can do one correctly. I chose a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a Civil Rights leader who was assassinated in 1968. I remember that painful day clearly. His birthday was celebrated on the 13th and Monday was a holiday in his honor. This quote hit me deeply.

I will not make it to the pub till afternoon–same every Tuesday for a few months.