In a way this poem is a meditation on our struggle for justice. I was thinking of
Dr. Cornel West and of Dr. King when I wrote this, both of whom taught and still teach the foundation of love in our struggle. Ironic, that at this time we remember
Nelson Mandela, who made the same transition in his own life and in the African National Congress (ANC) and the movement he led.
Justice without love
Becomes something less than justice
On my morning runs
Up the sweat hastening hills of Atlanta
Along the creek just outside DC
Across the frozen slippery streets
Of Chicago, not for nuthin’ the Windy City
I prayed to be an instrument of justice
Justice of Isaiah, Jeremiah
And Jesus in Matthew 25
Justice for the “least of these”
Too pissed off to pray for love
Didn’t want to love all my neighbors
Still don’t — hard to love evil doers
Hard to pray for love
When so many hurt needlessly
Now beginning to see
Love is beginning and end of justice
Rev Dr Brother Cornel West said it right
“Justice Without Love
Becomes something Less than Justice.”
Photo source: (Irina Patrascu) on Flickr via Creative Commons License: Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)