Rise Up to a Black House

When white became black

And black became white

I saw the radiance of a thousand suns

From Alamogordo burst in the tears filled

Bloodshot eyes of Black galley slaves

Shackled for centuries

In the shipwrecked ghettos of America.

I saw a Gandhi rise up from the Pietermaritzburg

platform floor

And a Rosa Parks riding in on a Montgomery bus

I saw a handcuffed King upon the Mountain

And a Mandela’s clenched fist against the blue

sky

All Dreams mingled with the dusty sweat

Upon millions and millions of brows

Until I saw a Obama walk up to a Black House.

Can Death become Life?

Can the Destroyer become the Healer of the

Worlds?

Can an epochal meltdown be transformed?

Can white holes and whiteouts be unframed?

Can we rewrite on the Blackboard of Time in

time?

Can we overcome?

Yes, we can!

Yes, we can!

November 6, 2008

New Delhi Suhas Borker

[Suhas Borker is an independent documentary filmmaker and convener of the Working Group on Alternative Strategies based in New Delhi. He

can be e-mailed at suhasborker@gmail.com]