for malcolm, again
perhaps u have seen it...
when a dog beaten one time too many
transmogrifies from a long-suffering pet
into a snarling, feral threat, whose hair
stands straight up/on end, whose head
lowers & whose fangs scrape rage/ragged
furrows in the ground. or when a grown man
suffers one abuse too many, & a docile, go-along-
to-get-along persona also turns. breaking thru
a fragile faux/civilized façade, the savage
with his back against the wall, fierce,
ferocious, untamed; without much
hope, but with no paralyzing fear.
for some of us...
malcolm, the magisterial x factor, came
evenly into our lives, treating us as if we
were prime, making us more than what
we thought we were; broke thru our docility,
our posturing negroness, for it had become
too small & weak, too puny to contain him.
but no noble savage he, no berserker nor
enemy, only a man; only a reminder of what
it truly means to be alive, human & yes,
mortal. he became for us the energy we
drew upon to stand up, face our fear, move
thru fatigue, frustration & fatality; the
resurrecting release that comes with
revenant spirit.
©Joseph McNair;2009
Very inspiring photo and poetry, my favorite :) well done professor McNair!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Yasmin
ReplyDeleteIt is sad the some so important to some of us is barely mentioned today, Thank you for remembering
ReplyDeleteand that is where i draw my strength to persist when things seem bleak, he remains my inspiration
ReplyDeletehe personified purpose and persistence in the face of prejudice and peril
Small bits like this become like bricks to build our house.
ReplyDeleteThis is beautifull, it touches my heart deep inside, in a way that it describes my life, just the way it is. Thank, professor. :)
ReplyDelete