My mind is occupied with thoughts of peaceful warriors like Martin Luther King, Jr., on a morning that is meant to honor him.

Could he have imagined that his words would become even more relevant as we watch a U.S. president devolve into dangerous self-centered delusions and bring a terrifyingly large number of followers with him. Waving their bigotry shamelessly, inviting those from the darkest corners to bring their voices of hate and ensuing violence to the heart of our democracy.

A bleak feeling if dwelt upon, but I’ll stick with hope. I keep searching through the morass of negativity to find the stories that brighten the light and shed inspiration. Yea, I’ll stick with hope.

There are many meaningful quotes by MLK rolling and scrolling through all my social media channels. But I stopped scrolling when I saw the lead to this poem written by a very dear and extremely talented friend Kerri McCaffrey, whose poetry always zaps me like an arrow straight into my third eye with a magical bend down into my heart. How does she do that!?!

This is a poem from her book, In the Valley of Glow Trees, which I HIGHLY recommend. If you love nature and wildlife and a sparkling description of the heart, you’ll want this book handy . . .

The vase was cobalt
and the flower, yellow
sunlight streaming explosions
on iridescent things–
a butterfly crafted
of peacock wings.
And love is light
and light is fair
so I have been crossing
ruby bridges
pondering
Rosa Parks
and Martin Luther King, Jr.
wondering—
did they sit in their kitchens
clay cup of bitterness

turned to coffee light and sweet
trying to stomach despair?
Federal Marshals, high pressure hoses, shots fired
from grassy knolls.
Or did they sit quietly
and linger
a tad longer
in the filtered light
the glitter dust
whispering, “deliver us”
from evil
as they sunk daffodils in blue vases
went out and placed themselves in harm’s way
tamped with equality
willing to be exploded—
scintillant slivers and silver shrapnel—?

Christ!

© Kerri Nicole McCaffrey 2013

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