Ode to Rosa Parks

Giving It All

While watching the funeral

for Rosa Parks,

I thought of how Rosa gave it all,

for a seat on a bus.

It was huge what Rosa did.

A complete thing,

at a time when fighting injustice,

meant the loss of life

and liberty.

Today people seem content

with little, and just want more

of what means nothing

and settle to mourn with empty souls.

Rosa’s, full of love, liberated us all

with a simple and humble act,

from those that today still carry

the torch of subjugation.

What Rosa Parks did

was not a little something,

a half measure of rebellion,

Rosa gave her life for that seat;

all we have is our life.

The bigots we feed our children,

to keep acceptable injustice

stoned Rosa.

Help us stand Rosa

and not kneel at pews of fear

that turns us into sheep,

that slaughter others

and keeps us in hell

by threatening us with heaven.

Marta ©October 24, 2005