Four score and seventeen years have gone by
Since the birth of one whose death made us cry.
We celebrate him for shining a beam
That made our nation live up to its dream.
He had a dream, which was our first promise
(One exposed by every Doubting Thomas),
Of resurrecting the equality
Declared in statements of our polity.
We the People, not some but all of us,
Could climb on board, take a seat on the bus.
That was a time in the United States,
The moment that forever separates
A nation that reneged on its promise
And now, whatever may still be amiss,
Encodes in the fiber of its people
Words that had been till then merely legal,
Just hypocrisy then, fulfillment since.
Sadly, he did not completely convince
Everyone to celebrate the good news;
Lack of perfection made some sing the blues.
Remember, he did not do it alone
Even when his friends’ silence made him groan.
Rosa Parks, Bayard Rustin, Diane Nash,
And Andrew Young all dealt with the backlash
From bigots who beat, jailed, and did murder
The likes of Goodman, Chaney, and Schwerner.
A special mention for Corretta Scott,
Without whom all this might have been for naught.
Including those whose names we don’t recall,
Our celebration must honor them all.
Epilogue:
Those who fought him said he wanted too much.
Some who did nothing said, “Well, he ain’t much.”
Those who fought him never wanted a change.
Some who did nothing deny there was change.
Those who fought him might sometimes feel grateful
For some who will always act ungrateful
To the unwavering constitution
Of a man who saved our Constitution.
They can all call him whatever they will,
We know he upheld Democracy’s will.