Book Excerpt - Pages 168 - 173

Many things have changed in our country since our founding fathers drafted the United States Constitution. There have been years or decades of little change and there have been others of great and dynamic change. I am sure that as you read this many such years or decades come to mind. When looking over the historical montage of time there is no period that glows more brightly than the years between 1955 and 1975.

The United States had just exited a tragically unpopular war which required the blood of many to spill without a true victory on the Korean peninsula. Our country was in the troughs of unprecedented growth and prosperity along with political influence around the globe. This period was driven by possibly the greatest generation of American citizens ever. These men and women grew up during the Great Depression of the 1930’s and later emerged a victor of the Second World War. This period saw the United States enter yet another unpopular war requiring more American lives which also ended with no clear victory in sight. However, as far as social issues go there was no more convulsive era in American history than this. Race relations, assignations, activism of all kinds, the military industrial complex and moral decay of ethics held by generations past were front and center for our nation and the world to watch unfold with the help of television. These events were seen live and in color. These were indeed turbulent times.

As I write these words president elect Barak Obama is 12 days away from taking the oath of office as our first black president. Our national change in race relations has never been more clearly seen. However, again, we find ourselves involved in an unpopular war with no clear victory in sight. Some things I guess never change.

The next few poems reflect my view of this period, and possibly yours as well, of issues which were prominently viewed.

Turbulent Times

The fifties and sixties

Of our last one hundred years

Posed precarious problems

For positions many held dear

You will give up your seat

We will all now share our fountains

Everyone can now vote

As we all climb Martin’s mountain

Young women were brazened and burned their bras

While young men were burning their cards

There were new pills to control a baby’s birth

And all the changes were much, much too hard

As the war in Asia was raging

And as too many cities were ignited

Proponents for the world’s transition

Were far too callously delighted

Camelot was ended too quickly

Their praises we did so loudly sing

A brother fell as a brother had fallen

And so did our nation’s black King

Two decades of change on such a grand scale

Is enough to make any nation fearful

The turmoil, the lootings and all the shootings

Is enough to make any nation tearful

Yes the fifties and sixties of our last one hundred years

Certainly changed our global perspective

But now looking back we all now can see

Our social rainbow is much more attractive

2/3/06

JMW

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The Road from Montgomery

Are we far from Montgomery

Have we put segregation in our past

Have we built a bridge of peace and understanding

Have we built a spirit that will truly last

Are we far from Montgomery

Have the buses equaled out

Have we really changed the seating order

Of those in Montgomery moving about

Are we far from Montgomery

What is the color of those we’ve jailed

Have we changed the social structure

Against which Montgomery once railed

Are we far from Montgomery

Is the racial tension still in the air

Have we opened doors of opportunity

Have we truly made things fair

Are we far from Montgomery

Have we truly, truly changed

Have the standards that we use today

Been so drastically rearranged

Are we far from Montgomery

Have we made progress toward the goal

Have the gunshots and tears

Changed the young one’s future roles

Are we really far from Montgomery

Have we all done the best we can

Have the leaders of the ones at risk

Taught the free man to be a man

4/27/04

JMW