In the Office of a House Representative| In the Presence of a Panther

A hard-wood door- gold-plated and engraved-

calls visitors to the House of Representatives,

Capitol Hill.

That hard-wood door now seems a mere nook

in a vast marble corridor,

and I marvel.

But slip inside- upon invitation, of course-

say Hello,

and a “Howdy” greets back.

Now inside,

Let the real marvel unfold.

Rooted against baby blue walls are photographs of black and white

telling the tale of a fight

between Black and White.

Rooted against baby blue walls are bookshelves- solid and proud-

preserving the food

of Democratic mouths.

Basketballs and Footballs deck the shelves.

Coca-Cola and Jelly-beans adorn the trophies.

- These are his scatterlings of American Identity.

Faces on boxes smile down at us:

from a box of Whole Grain Wheaties

 from a soap-box next to MLK

from box-office posters for Negroe concerts

- These are his scatterlings of Black American Identity.

And in the middle of that room

-sheltered by portraits of revolutionaries determined-

We sit: a young South African group equally determined.

We sit in awe of two men, nay, two champions:

a man named Lewis, and another named Bond.

With bated breath we wait:

for the breadth of legendary wisdom,

for the moments of legendary truth and brushes with famous fate.

We hear of Human Frailty and Freedom Rides.

We’re reminded that “Races do not fall in love- that people do”.

We learn how to do what the People say

Do!

and to march when the People say

March!

“Stand Up for Freedom, for Love, for Life for ALL,” they said.

“Make noise!” they urged.

And within those baby-blue walls of a Senator’s office,

the prowess of two Black Panthers emerged.