Next Step

This is the next step in Lauren's writing assignment. She had to use phrases from the story she wrote and weave them together with direct quotes from Martin Luther King to create a poem.



Justice Too Long Delayed is Justice Denied

I tread slowly, confidently down the empty sidewalks of Cairo, Illinois
Things are different now
I find myself in front of a stark white building
With no alternative except to prepare for direct action
Standing with three other boys
Behind the damp sign, propped on a dusty table in the front doorway
To preserve the evil system of segregation
Printed in large white letters are the words: Private Pool—Members Only
An unjust law is no law at all
A line has formed, with five Negroes in front
Extremists for love
A young man steps forward
One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly
His voice was calm and steady
Not afraid of the word tension
His dark hands clasped behind his back
Willing to accept the penalty
“I’d like to become a member” he says
One day the South will recognize its real heroes
A white fist strikes from behind me
From the dark depths of prejudice and racism
The black man is on the ground, blood streaming from his swollen nose
There is a time when the cup of endurance runs over
My stomach tightens and my head starts to spin
The two men, white and black, blur out of focus into one being
Caught in an inescapable network of mutuality
Tied in a single garment of destiny
I turn and run out the door, past the long line
Through the deep fog of misunderstanding
Leaving the towering white building far behind me

--Lauren
(Italicized text and title from Martin Luther King’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail” )