R. Ponder, E. JD, LLM, CCRP

“Honoring The Original Patriots and Roots of Memorial Day” On that May day, the shadows danced In Charleston’s aftermath, where chains had broken. The sun’s light pierced through history’s trance, As freedom’s first sighs in silence were spoken. African hands, calloused by the past, Gathered bones of brothers from hasty graves. Echoes of war, where freedom’s die was cast, A somber tribute to the bold and the brave. Children of anguish, they bore the wreaths, With songs of sorrow sung in sacred tones. Their grief was the wind, their cries the breaths, Over hallowed grounds, over nameless stones. Old men whispered prayers to restless souls, In languages the earth had long forgotten. Each flower laid, a silent drum roll, For the lives taken, the dreams turned rotten. This is a day not forged by decree, But by those who knew the cost of freedom. Not by marble, nor by grand marquee, But by the oppressed, in their quiet kingdom. Their spirits rose, like phoenix from the ash, Carrying the weight of their ancestors' chains. In their tears, the story of freedom's clash, Where hope and sorrow entwined in the rains. The first Memorial Day, a testament to pain, Crafted by those who had nothing to lose. Their legacy lives, though shadows remain, In the hearts of those who continue to choose. To remember is to fight, to honor is to rise, For freedom’s song must never cease. Beneath the same flag, under the same skies, The original patriots still dream of peace. Their memory a beacon, their courage the flame, Lighting the path for generations to come. In their honor, we remember their name, The first patriots, to whom we succumb. ©️MustafaSantiagoAli #Poetry #HappyMemorialDay #History