Charles R. Smith, Jr. - I Speak

I Speak
By
Charles R. Smith, Jr.

I
speak
for those who are meek,
for those who cover ears
to silence sirens and shrieks
shouted from mothers
with mascara-stained cheeks
sobbing over souls
slain in the streets
leaving generation gaps,
so
I speak.

I speak
for those living in silence,
quieted by criminals
with a history of violence,
for those whose lives
were changed by the demise
of loved ones lost
right before their own eyes,
for them,
I speak.

I
speak
for young eyes that see
bruises branded by daddy’s
fists on mommy,
battering her body
scarring her soul
turning her children’s
warm hearts cold
forcing their faces
to hide and seek
shelter from rage
for them
I speak.

I speak
for the illiterate and weak,
those who slip through the cracks
and fall on the streets
and scratch for salvation
without food, shelter or heat,
for those who are lost,
for them,
I speak.

These words that I say,
these words that I speak
give voice to the silent,
scared and weak.

These words that I speak,
these words that I say
challenge everyone
to listen
everyday.

©2009 Charles R. Smith, Jr. All rights reserved.

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Charles R. Smith, Jr. is a poet, novelist, photographer and winner of the 2010 Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration for My People (where his photos and Langston Hughes' poetry combine to utterly fantastic effect). I first ran into his work when I was looking for sports poetry for a few kids I thought would really connect with, well, sports poetry. His books, forgive me for saying this but it's an accurate description, were a home run.

Also a big hit for me, I Speak is a poem that demands to be read aloud. In fact, I want to do a little experiment. I want to shoo you all out to Charles' website where you can listen to him reading a number of his poems. Then come back and read I Speak again, and, if you're like me, I bet you can hear him reading it aloud in your head. I know I could. And then read it aloud yourself. Feels good, doesn't it? And if there's anyone around you, I bet they listen to the words you speak. Good stuff, indeed, and just one reason I'm thrilled to have Charles R. Smith, Jr. here at GottaBook as part of 30 Poets/30 Days.

It's Poetry Friday once again (seems to happen every week!), and the roundup of posts is over at Anastasia Suen's Picture Book of the Day. Enjoy!

Yesterday, Heidi Mordhorst gave us an Earth Day (and every day) poem, Smaller Than I Thought. Tomorrow, Ars Poetica by Georgia Heard! For more on 30 Poets/30 Days and ways to follow along, please click here.