Tuesday, March 19, 2019

recovering notes from the deep, part 20


1963

when you're fifteen you remember
the feeling
not necessarily the substance
of a quarter-million people
     a rolling sea of justice
in the middle of the heat
of washington d c august 28 1963

in a crowd of black and white
showing the world
how to walk straight
interlock arms and shoulders
     sing
"woke up this morning with my mind
     set on freedom"

my dad and his comrade jim
vanguard proud
jim emoting spirit and voice
of paul robeson
lorraine hansberry
claudia jones
way way beyond
my adolescent consciousness

for me it was
just dylan and joan baez
dylan singing
only a pawn in their game
like seeing way into the future
where every voice
might move
a mountain

--- e b bortz

No comments: