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. )
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.
wow, love this!
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I love the format of a haibun for this.
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Water is free for the thirsty.
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Heartfelt prose and vivid haiku. Love your message and couldn’t agree more.
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I really think that seeing your own faults first is the only thing that can make us care about others… really good to see how you expanded the quote.
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Amen to this – it read like a prayer
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Stunning haiku, Victoria. That last line, wow!
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Can some people not see their own death of spirit? When they project hatred onto others, this is a sign of spiritual death or dying. King’s quote is Christlike, and your haiku at the end reminds us that redemption is not only free but practically pleading for us to drink.
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So well said. I was feeling those same parallels. This is a thoughtful piece Victoria.
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I am trying to catch up on e-mails and posts, so I haven’t seen the dVerse prompt yet, but yes, to your words (and MLK’s) here. Lovely haiku, too.
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Reblogged this on Frank J. Tassone and commented:
#Haiku Happenings #2: Victoria Slotto’s latest #haibun for #dversepoets!
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Great write, Victoria! This works perfectly for my current #Haikai Challenge! 🙂
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Excellent write, Victoria
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I also misunderstood the embedding part, Victoria. MLK was an amazing man with such strong beliefs – a mountain of a man.
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How wonderful of him to want to free all of us, even those who were filled with hate.
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Being open and kind to others, would be ideal for peace and freedom to reign Victoria!
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