Said, “Hey little boy you can’t go where the others go
‘Cause you don’t look like they do.”Said, “Hey old man how can you stand
To think that way?
Did you really think about it
Before you made the rules?”He said, “Son
That’s just the way it is
Some things will never change
That’s just the way it is.”Ah, but don’t you believe them.
from “the way it is” by bruce hornsby and the range
“Just Because” by Maggie Kudrick
A poem for the 2020 MLK Day Writing Awards
Just because I am a girl
Doesn’t mean I am not strong
Doesn’t mean I can’t make my own decisions
Doesn’t mean I can’t pave my own path
And doesn’t mean I will break under pressure
Just because I am a Christian
Doesn’t mean I am judgemental
Doesn’t mean I am single-minded
And doesn’t mean I don’t love everyone
Just because I am tall
Doesn’t mean I look down on you
And doesn’t mean I cannot be loved
Just because I am white
Doesn’t mean I am not diverse
Doesn’t mean I think I am superior
And doesn’t mean I don’t care about the world
Just because I speak my mind
Doesn’t mean I am intimidating
And doesn’t mean I won’t consider others
Why am I not equal?
Why can’t I believe in what I want?
Why does my height affect opinions?
Why would I think that I am better?
Why won’t I give my opinion?
I am me. I am unique.
And, finally, a few tunes to mark MLK Day and to remind us that “the way it is” isn’t the way it has be:
“Blowin’ in the Wind” by Bob Dylan
“What’s Goin’ On?” by Marvin Gaye
“The Way It Is” by Bruce Hornsby and the Range
“The Ghost of Tom Joad” by Bruce Springsteen (with Tom Morello)