Poetry Happens

I Have a Dream

"I have a dream," that was how the speech started, right?

"I have a dream."

Martin Luther King's dream was equality and opportunity for all people. Most people nowadays aren't having to think on that broad of a scale. Most of us just want to pass our classes and make our parents proud. On a normal day we don't take the time to think about all that was fought for for us to be so comfortable here in America. On days that maybe aren't so normal though, some of us begin to really understand. Those of us that get it grieve. We grieve because the security and comforts that our ancestors fought for are the same principles that people are trying to rip away from us now.

"Feeling safe in our homes,

feeling safe in our towns,

feeling safe in our schools,"

These things were fought for and these things are threatened every day. Homes are broken into. People are attacked, kidnapped, and raped right from public streets. Schools are targeted by psychotic people who somehow think that the only way for them to be heard is to shoot some little kid.

Some little kid.

Some little kid with a teacher who will never forgive herself because "What if she had chosen to act differently?" Some little kid with parents who will never stop blaming themselves for sending their child to that school on that day. Some little kid with classmates whose first memory could now be the shot that will echo in their minds forever and the blood that never seems to go away no matter how many people get down on their knees and try to scrub it away.

Scrub away the stain.

Scrub away the despair.

Scrub away the nightmares.

Some things can't be scrubbed away, no matter how hard you try.

Now, I have a dream.

I have a dream that some day my children wont have to worry that someone is going to attack them while they sit in their math class. I have a dream that they wont have to freeze in fear when they are told "We have an intruder in our school". That they somehow wont have to even consider the fact that they might not be safe in the school that I, their parent, send them to.

While my generation is scrubbing away the puddles left by violence, their generation will be learning how to be confident and speak clearly without the fear that someone will try to take that right away from them.

One day our people will once again learn that freedom of speech is our most valuable asset. One day, we will hear our children speak as if their opinions actually mattered. As if someone was listening,not because they have an over-inflated sense of self confidence, but because people are listening.

People Are Listening

When a person has lost all confidence in themselves and is losing friends because someone dared to touch them in such a way that they were made to feel inhuman, we will listen. We will not say "Boys will be boys" or any other stupid sayings like that. We will not excuse sexual assault just because "Daniel is such a good kid, they would never do that". We will not turn our backs on those who need our help.

The only way to deal with this behavior is to have people around to teach people how to treat each other. A punishment does no good if the reason for the punishment is not understood. Children without examples of good character should be able to find someone to look up to. Teachers should teach by example in some cases. They should be an example of treating our fellow humans in such a way that people know that they care and want to help each person to achieve his or her goals. They should be examples of how to build people up, not just how not to knock someone over. Having someone say

"You are not alone,"

"I see your struggles,"

"I'm here if you need anything,"

is providing support for them to lean on while they make repairs to their bruised and battered self confidence.

I am here now, on February 16, 2018, telling you that I Have A Dream.
- Elizabeth Thomas