Today I Stood Where My Hero Died
Today I stood where my hero died–
Onlookers scrambling on each and every side as I stood
Glaring at that balcony stilled in time,
Picturing the closing moments of this humble King’s life
And as the Memphis heat weighed down on every side, I questioned
Have I ever felt something alike
Nah, nothing that I’ve ever felt in this life
Compared to standing in the very place my hero died.
And as I stood–upon pebbled concrete,
Shaken from my crown to the soles of my feet
I could almost hear the crying eyes covering the streets
Smell the panic and the chattering teeth
I could almost taste the devastation lingering in the air
Touch the hopelessness, the rage, the despair
The first question we wonder is how is this fair?
But the legacy of evil is it simply does not care
And I stood there–wondering what if he was still alive?
Or rather, what if he had lived a longer life?
I know he said longevity has its place
But his concern was God’s face and not human’s embrace
And what if for all of our leaders who were slain
By a white supremacist nation using God’s name in vain?
And as the Sun descended from that Tennessee sky
I silenced my wandering and closed my eyes,
Opened my hands and exhaled winds of The Spirit,
And from that position, this request became clearest:
“Anoint the work of my hands”
King said he may not arrive with us, but we’ll see The Promised Land
And I’ll be damned if I deny the hope of that man
And let purpose slip through the grip of my hands
May the legacy of a King live on in me.
May I do everything in my power to help us all to see
The mountaintop where we’ll all be free
May I be forever faithful to build this city
