maya
Maya Angelou

THANK YOU ( for Maya Angelou)

 

Thank you may not be enough for all you’ve given, Maya

Poems that lifted the world above pain and strife

Sonnets that became beacons of hope and light

The magic in your smile that made weary hearts sing

Reassuring words that taught us that even caged birds have wings

You were our dream keeper, our sage, the propellant for our rise

Thank you for wiping away tears from freedom-searching eyes

You gave us dance, song, and laughter and put jazz back in our struts

Replaced the alienating I and Me for the unifying Us

For all that you have given thank you may not be enough

 

By Layding Lumumba Kaliba

 

 

Copyright © 2022 by By Layding Lumumba Kaliba from the upcoming book FROM JUMP STREET (a burnt offering)

Layding Lumumba Kaliba is an award-winning poet and author of six books of poetry, including the soon-to-released, FROM JUMP STREET (a burnt offering).