A Day We Never Thought


Inside chambers of our mind
We yearned freedom
Not knowing the fullness thereof
In centuries of debate and suffering
Of whip and breaking of bones
We never thought
No sliver of hope
No prayers for this
Surely wasted
We went about our day
Our madness couched in faith
Yet pain and doubt persisted
Into the night
Children taught to hate
Fathers gone mad with drink
Mothers working to save the children
Yet we never thought
A day like this would come
Like a distant star
We cannot believe its twinkle
So far
years become centuries
Long and hard
We cannot bear this pain
This waiting in the sun
What shall we do where shall we go
The night is upon us
Were we born into this night
This darkness of skin
Was this the meaning of our shame
To overcome all odds
To defeat the devil
To celebrate our Lord
Keep the faith
We shall win the race
Like Dr. Clark taught
This is not for sprinters
Only long distance runners
Even this day is not the end
Just another beginning
A sign along the route
Letting us know the best is yet to come
In the fullness of the moon
We shall dance the holy dance
Late into the night
It is only a moment
Precious and bold
Hard fought deserved
Like a meal after work
Yet we never thought
We would return to our father’s house
Our royal robes adorn
We dance into the new day
We know joy and rain
We know the pain of African men in power
Who want to be president for life
Who crush and break the people
Banish and burn alive all opposition
We know the West
We have such brutes in our midst
We know their terror
We know our sweat and blood at their hands
A day we never thought
Keeping eyes open
Ever on the alert
Do not depart our post
Relief shall come
No matter the doubt
The sun has never missed a day
So how come a day we never thought
Why did this day seem so impossible
Our suffering ancestors said bottom rail top
They sang sorrow songs
Knowing life is full
Resistance every day all day
Like the people of Gaza
We cannot be broken
And so this is a moment of joy
On the journey up the hill
the rock of Sisyphus in hand
We can make it to the top
a thought to action
A unified thrust
smashing all doors
Leaping all walls
Crashing ceilings forever
This is who we are
Warriors of the king
smash fear
Resist every hurtful thing
Shoot it down fast
Keep on keepin’ on
A day we never thought.

--El Muhajir (Marvin X)
1.17.09