“I open my mouth to the Lord.”

In the midst of the King’s face
In times of interior violent storms
She sat
Her children sleeping
Her passion was never in public display
To right ancient and current wrongs
She believed religiously
She believed
She believed

She was born of flesh and iron
Born to become a steel magnolia
She loved
She adored
She cherished
She cared
She prayed

I speak as a sister of a sister

I stand here today for her
Cold and aloof
I stand here
I stand here.

Those late nights I used to tell her,
“You don’t laugh enough.”
But, she said,
“I don’t want to.”
And it’s true

Many evenings she would say to me
“I do believe peace should belong
To
Every person
Everywhere
All the time

Those of us who run
Who know –
We owe something from this minute on

I will never cease
I want to see peace
I want to see kindness
Through your eyes, King

“I open my mouth to the Lord and I won’t turn back.”