SOLITARY FIGURES

SOLITARY FIGURES

 Little chessmen on the board joust and tussle valiantly 

One man defeats a king,

Headstrong fighter in the ring.

Newspaper headline proclaims

 "Woman fights city hall"

What a gallant fight.

A skirmish in the darkest night.

There is something I want to say

Something about David going up against Goliath

Something about pilgrims setting out on an uncertain voyage.

I want to say something about MLK marching for freedom

His gospel of nonviolence still resonates today

I want to say something about Rosa Parks

Rising high above the fray.

Refusing to give up her seat on the bus.

Her courage speaks to all of us.

I want to say something about Mahatma Gandhi, 

The way he lived as an example of gallantry and peaceful protest.

Putting his strong ideals to the test, quietly raising the bar.

I want to speak of Joan Baez, a lone woman with a guitar,

Singing we shall overcome alone on a stage,

Ushering in a new day and age for flower children everywhere,

Her clear soprano piercing the exuberant air

Little chessmen on the board spar and tussle valiantly 

One man defeats a king...

I want to say something about solitary figures

Going out and coming in alone and standing straight against the wind.

-Bruce Potts

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