You speak with acute passion. With longing. With understanding. With adulation. With discernment. From a place where changing the world is a reality, and yet still a possibility.
Your large hands will catch so many more.
*****************
The world is all a twitter with hope and expectation and full possibility. These are trying and very frightening times and so many of us are resting the substantial weight of that possibility in one man's hands. It's a burden. If, in fact, it takes a village to raise a child (Rob hates when I use this- but Hillary didn't coin it- it's older than that- it's about family and extending community- so deal with it,), then it takes more than a city, more than a state more than a region to save the world.
But it's happening. People are saving the world. Lots of people.
Geoffrey Canada is doing it at the Harlem Children's Zone.
Dan Pederson and Susan Buffet are doing it at Educare.
Dr. T. Berry Brazelton and all of the people at the Touchpoints Center are doing it.
These are a few of those people who have surrounded themselves with people who propel their ideas.
These people have long arms and monumental vision. They know that "investing in our children" is not a political buzz phrase. It is all of the hope and all of the possibility to start our kids lives with opportunity. They will grow up with opportunities to influence those who need influencing, to negotiate with those who need negotiating, to love those who need loving, to reduce what needs reducing and expand what needs expanding and most importantly, follow in the steps of dedicated people, like the ones mentioned above, to inspire those who need inspiration.
That opportunity, that hope, that possibility will assuredly change this world.
It will.
Who- who inspires you?
I'll leave you with this:
A SMALL ARMY OF LOVE
Heard the news yesterday,
And today, mothers cried.
Our children by tens of thousands
Have died.
And for what?
What will stop this madness?
The eternal sadness
Of small little caskets
Filled with dreams never had.
Are we mad?
We need a small army of love.
And no thanks:
We don’t need any rifles,
No guns, and no tanks.
Just love, and help from above.
Our army will be small,
Diverse, and unique.
Little soldiers in braids,
And some with sneakered feet.
All marching for peace,
And an end to the war,
That has claimed little soldiers
As they open their doors
And romp in playgrounds.
Can we stand anymore?
We need a small army of Love.
Start today.
Sentries on guard,
Keeping danger away.
While our young go to school
And play on our streets,
A small army of us
Standing guard while they sleep.
Can it be done?
And the love of our army
Will always sustain us.
When others disdain us with laughs,
ridicule,
Our love keeps us fighting.
Yeah, we’re fighting fools.
So I know what’s been whispered
and what some said aloud.
“Those fools with their pipe dreams,
Their heads in the clouds.”
But when you love all the children,
There’s nothing to do,
But start a small army of Love,
Me and You.
by: Geoffrey Canada
But it's happening. People are saving the world. Lots of people.
Geoffrey Canada is doing it at the Harlem Children's Zone.
Dan Pederson and Susan Buffet are doing it at Educare.
Dr. T. Berry Brazelton and all of the people at the Touchpoints Center are doing it.
These are a few of those people who have surrounded themselves with people who propel their ideas.
These people have long arms and monumental vision. They know that "investing in our children" is not a political buzz phrase. It is all of the hope and all of the possibility to start our kids lives with opportunity. They will grow up with opportunities to influence those who need influencing, to negotiate with those who need negotiating, to love those who need loving, to reduce what needs reducing and expand what needs expanding and most importantly, follow in the steps of dedicated people, like the ones mentioned above, to inspire those who need inspiration.
That opportunity, that hope, that possibility will assuredly change this world.
It will.
Who- who inspires you?
I'll leave you with this:
A SMALL ARMY OF LOVE
Heard the news yesterday,
And today, mothers cried.
Our children by tens of thousands
Have died.
And for what?
What will stop this madness?
The eternal sadness
Of small little caskets
Filled with dreams never had.
Are we mad?
We need a small army of love.
And no thanks:
We don’t need any rifles,
No guns, and no tanks.
Just love, and help from above.
Our army will be small,
Diverse, and unique.
Little soldiers in braids,
And some with sneakered feet.
All marching for peace,
And an end to the war,
That has claimed little soldiers
As they open their doors
And romp in playgrounds.
Can we stand anymore?
We need a small army of Love.
Start today.
Sentries on guard,
Keeping danger away.
While our young go to school
And play on our streets,
A small army of us
Standing guard while they sleep.
Can it be done?
And the love of our army
Will always sustain us.
When others disdain us with laughs,
ridicule,
Our love keeps us fighting.
Yeah, we’re fighting fools.
So I know what’s been whispered
and what some said aloud.
“Those fools with their pipe dreams,
Their heads in the clouds.”
But when you love all the children,
There’s nothing to do,
But start a small army of Love,
Me and You.
by: Geoffrey Canada
2 comments:
Let us be clear. I believe in the village concept. I am less fond of its most recent messenger. This of course, is not the point.
I, with you, was affected greatly on Saturday as I was when I met Dr. Brazelton two years ago. And yes, change will come. We must make sure of that.
"Even after all this time, the sun never tells the Earth 'you owe me.' Look at a love like that, it lights up the whole sky." ~Hafez
Don't know why, but this poem popped into my head after reading this. I think you'd like Hafez, btw.
Post a Comment