Monday, July 27, 2020

Bloody Sunday



painting by Joan Baez.

Bloody Sunday

“The vote is precious, almost sacred. It is the most
powerful non-violent tool we have in democracy.”
---Congressman John Robert Lewis.

Bridge--the Edmund Pettus.
Robert--John’s home name.
Attacked they were, in 1965.
Many marchers injured.
Black lives clubbed.
Lean in--make good trouble.
Everyman’s hero.
Services--tribute for six days,
      for the fallen freedom fighter,
      making it from a cotton plantation
      to Congress. 

  


Glenn Buttkus

Quadrille: exactly 44 words.

Posted over at d'Verse Poets Pub

16 comments:

Sanaa Rizvi said...

Such a brilliant acrostic, Glenn! You rocked the prompt!❤️

Linda Lee Lyberg said...

Glenn- this is wonderful! By the way, your link is not working properly. Would you mind trying again, and I'll delete the first one? I was able to find it via clicking on your site name.

Jane Dougherty said...

Same as Linda.

This is a powerful piece of work!

Jade Li said...

An acrostic with political punch. I agree on voting, but there are so many barriers between us and a fair vote these days, from obstructions at the polling stations to hacking electronic voting machines, and now absentee voting by the majority due to covid.

Lucy said...

LOVE this.

indybev said...

His story was so inspiring. Sadly there seems no young hero to follow in his footsteps. Great write, Glenn.

Truedessa said...

Done in your own special way. The vote does make a difference. I hope come November we will see a vote of change.

lynn__ said...

Great tribute to John Lewis, Glenn! May we vote for NON-violence indeed...too much violence excused by left-leaning mayors.

Kim M. Russell said...

I don’t understand American politics, modern or historical, just the basics, but I felt the political punch in your acrostic, Glenn.

sarah said...

Very clever, Glenn.

Gillena Cox said...

WOW a super acrostic

Much🍇love

Ken Gierke said...

I agree with others here, Glenn. This is brilliant.

Dwight L. Roth said...

Wonderfully done and a nice tribute to John Lewis. Making it through the brambles of Civil Right was and is a painful journey!

Christine said...

That is a great poem for this word, a use of the word that I honestly never would have thought of if I hadn't read your poem. Nice take!

Bill said...

Wow. Some poems are wonderful. Others are much more. This one is very much more. And the portrait is an image that will stay with me.

Vivian Zems said...



A fitting tribute.. and such a powerful acrostic poem.