Some words and some song.

Just words

         I have seem the battle for equality. I was a sixties child. War were ending and racism was dying. I pray I don't see the death  of equality and freedom. So many would of die for no reason. This is very sad.



Our children are standing tall for equality. Our children are fighting for all men and women. Fighting for me and you.  My generation had allowed the world to fall into chaos and the world  to forget the word peace. My father told me. Allow no-one to look down at you. Today I pray. We learn. Every life had value. Rate a life by their deeds and actions. Not religion or the color of their skin. Hate is alive and well. Time to revive kindness, concern and the song of peace.  Need a billion person demonstration. Stop the terror, stop the hate. One people and one world my friend.




“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” 
― Martin Luther King Jr., A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches

“An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.” 
― Mahatma Gandhi

“Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.” 
― Albert Einstein

“When Great Trees Fall

When great trees fall,
rocks on distant hills shudder,
lions hunker down
in tall grasses,
and even elephants
lumber after safety.

When great trees fall
in forests,
small things recoil into silence,
their senses
eroded beyond fear.

When great souls die,
the air around us becomes
light, rare, sterile.
We breathe, briefly.
Our eyes, briefly,
see with
a hurtful clarity.
Our memory, suddenly sharpened,
examines,
gnaws on kind words
unsaid,
promised walks
never taken.

Great souls die and
our reality, bound to
them, takes leave of us.
Our souls,
dependent upon their
nurture,
now shrink, wizened.
Our minds, formed
and informed by their
radiance,
fall away.
We are not so much maddened
as reduced to the unutterable ignorance
of dark, cold
caves.

And when great souls die,
after a period peace blooms,
slowly and always
irregularly. Spaces fill
with a kind of
soothing electric vibration.
Our senses, restored, never
to be the same, whisper to us.
They existed. They existed.
We can be. Be and be
better. For they existed.” 
― Maya Angelou


Please don't forget Heather Heyer. Please don't forget the college kids and demonstrator. People who walked the walked. Are honored people. My Grandfather walked with Martin Luther King Jr. in Detroit. You can be an observer of our world or be part of this world. I need to walk the walk my friend? Will you allow our world to fall to hate?
                               John Castellenas/Coyote

  

Author's Note

A sad day for us in the USA. We can't fall backward.

Reviews

[Tazeen Ahmed]

This is truly an informative and powerful piece. Just today, I was reading about the civil rights movement in the USA and black power. martin Luther Jr was indeed a great ruler. I'm impressed and inspired by your personal account and the fact that your father walked with Martin Luther King.
Thank you for sharing :)

[Tony Jordan]

Sorry for interjecting Tazeen - not being rude but there is a long and ancient history to non-violent protest not least of which was the Irish non-co-operation of Captain Boycott (circa 1880) which gave that particular form of protest it's name.

[Coyote Poetry]

Freedom and no racism. Hard work. Never done and thank you for reading and the comment.

[Tazeen Ahmed]

Well, I really appreciate your input. Maybe I'll get back and research more on that.
Thank you for correcting me.

[Tony Jordan]

not correcting - adding to what you'd said Tazeen.

[Daniealla]

This was a very powerful Piece. The information stated was well said. :)

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you Daniealla. I appreciate the comment.

[Lydia Shutter]

You are so right...we lived through the sixties...we marched for equal rights and had sit ins. We protested the war. We thought we made progress...but did we? These days I wonder. What a wonderful collection of quotes and poetry you have shared with us here, John. No, we must not forget Heather Heyer. We must not allow hate to win. Lydi**

[Coyote Poetry]

I agree dear Lydia. Cannot allow racism to be reborn.

[Tracey~]

All we can do is cast our prayers up for this country and our people. It saddens me to see how far backwards this all has taken us. Thank you for this..xo

[Coyote Poetry]

You are right. In 7 months. Poor leadership took us back 50 years. Thank you for reading and the comment.

[Tracey~]

Exactly and it breaks my heart..

[emmajoy]

' You can be an observer of our world or be part of this world. I need to walk the walk my friend? Will you allow our world to fall to hate? '

Draw your chair closer so you might hear a wise man's whisper..
Hold out your hands and feel the blind man reach for understanding..
Walk to all Man's drum, together, in step.

John, your words mean more than words, they mean wisdom and love for your world.. our world.
We need more of you and the like.minded to speak out.. I do try.

[Coyote Poetry]

We must try. For us and the children. Thank you dear friend for reading and the comment. I do appreciate.

[emmajoy]

Need to rush off and out now, but will review more of your posts and of course, other people's later on. 'I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date' . with the dentist... arghhh !

[barleygirl]

Excellent collection of thought-provoking ideas & messages. These troubled times are a test: Can we be the kind of country we want to be, despite the scourge infecting the helm? I applaud you for always carrying the right ideas & spreading them to spread more harmony (((HUGS)))

[Coyote Poetry]

We must dear friend. Too much hate and we need more love and kindness. Next days. Millions stood for Heather and no racism and hate.

[Ken Simm.]

Inspiring John. And I know.
Racism is about the people who are racist not about the people who the racism is directed against. They are the one's who don't know. I've found that racists don't get to know anyone different from themselves. They are not educated about the world by experience they just always want to know that they are right because they think they should be. And violence is always the first and last resort of these incompetent citizens of just their own heads. Again because they cannot bear to be wrong.
You keep on saying this John. We who know will keep on listening and learning.

[Coyote Poetry]

We must learn. For the sake of the children and thank you Ken for reading and the comment.

[Tomás Ó C..]

Well written. We are truly in terrible times.

[Coyote Poetry]

I hope we change our ways. Thank you for reading and the comment.

[Tomás Ó Cárthaigh]

Alas, with Barcelona its not looking like mankind is changing at all...

[Coyote Poetry]

I'm not a FBI agent. The terrorist are funded by some wealthy people. Find the source of money. Stop the terror. He who gave a dime to terror are as guilty as the one's acting. Stop the funding. Internet, banking and cell phone. Easy fix. No money, no terror. I pray for better day and I offer my prayers to Barcelona.

[~Sarah~ Idríel T..]

The world needs peace, love and kindness.

Inspiring poem.

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you Sarah for reading and the comment. I pray we learn ASAP. War and violence doesn't lead to peace.

[Weeping willow]

Truly love your words,the world is going through changes and we need align back into love for one another and crush this awful hate that is raising it's ugly head;- A very sad day for our country.

[Coyote Poetry]

Yes it was and the next morning. So many demonstrations for peace. Thank you dear friend for reading and the comment.