What would I write this Fourth of July
What would I write if I could write this Fourth of July
Would I write of the love I felt this morning at Nana’s home
Or the joy felt with my dear cousins,
I hear freedom songs,
that is all I have known
Independence Day, the cost to be free
Would I write of the Overflow of bounty ,
Summer picnic table full,
Fruit, veggie and pasta salad, every salad,
Fresh corn , grilled hotdogs, cheeseburger- fresh lettuce tomato and onion, abundance
S’mores and chocolate on lips and face
Fireworks bursting in the night air
Would I write of twin boys in the pool,
Cousins sliding and being tossed from the bounce house near the pool,
shrieks of summer joy
I could write of Cricket riding the waves, barking wanting to help the kids dunking in the water,
Archie looking cautiously on, not a sound
What would I write if I could write this Fourth of July
I cannot write much of the past,
being so young
Life so far, so gloriously good
Hope stirs in me,
the chalk so colorful and free
I can feel that love of each other
Shelter in this shadow
Smiles on their faces
If I could write my dream in a cloud what would I write
I would be a singer,
and what would I sing,
maybe Andra Day
“We gonna walk it out
And move mountains
All we need, all we need is hope
And for that we have each other
And for that we have each other
And we will rise
We will rise…
I'll rise up
Rise like the day
I'll rise up
In spite of the ache
I will rise a thousand times again.”(1)
When i am a singer,
what would I sing,
I would sing from the rooftops
of Shelter in this shadow
Shelter in Highland Park, Illinois
Shelter in the shadow
for Jayland Walker, body riddled
“I will find shelter in the shadow of Your wings
In the comfort of Your hands
Give me strength when I am weak
I will find refuge when the days of trouble come
When my fight isn't enough
I will run to You (2)
So much to sing and write
this Fourth of July,
I could dream to write sweet poetry
like Pauli Murray, stirring the soul ,
Proving separate was not equal,
and giving women a voice,
Enduring, equal presence
“…Hope is a song in a weary throat.
Give me a song of hope
And a world where I can sing it.
Give me a song of faith
And a people to believe in it.
Give me a song of kindliness
And a country where I can live it.
Give me a song of hope and love
And a brown girl’s heart to hear it.”(3)
What would I write this Fourth of July, (Glimpse poetry, by Joe Holuta)
About this poem: What would I write this Fourth of July is a poem written from view of my granddaughter Arlia Rose. We have had July 4th family times over the years with pool fun, summer foods and celebration of Independence Day. She writes of the love of Nana and cousins and the hope that stirs her, the shelter she feels among family. She then thinks if she could "dream" she would sing and move mountains of racism that existed since the founding of the USA, Rise up as sung by Audra Day. She would also sing of God being a shelter, though many have died because of racist hate crimes as in Higland Park IL July 4, 2022, and police crimes as in Jayland Walker killing June 27,2022. She dreams to write poetry like Pauli Murray who gave women a voice, and a song of hope and love in a country where she can live it, and a "brown girl’s heart to hear it.'' - Joe Holuta
1) Rise Up
-Andra Day
https://open.spotify.com/track/0tV8pOpiNsKqUys0ilUcXz?si=3zSzbx0tRzyHXYNPukMsLQ
(2) Shelter
-Mosaic MSC
https://open.spotify.com/track/0gj9nEv9Uqa2HJuhRdkybH?si=K96HxgPDRYSx586BYWnO_g
(3) Pauli Murray
Dark Testament Verse 8 (excerpt)
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