Many of you know Montanan Chris Valentine, member of Wyoming Writers and WyoPoets, who sends out the newsletter for WyoPoets and the poems with Ted Kooser's comments. I've known her since way back, during the 2000 and 2001 Casper College Literary Festivals, when I met her in the first poetry workshop we did with Utah poet David Lee. Here is her tribute to Martin Luther King.
Dear Page,
I know you well.
You are white just like me,
And blank like my mind.
I wish I had black paper
To write on, in celebration
Of Martin Luther King.
Maybe I will find some
And write a poem on it.
I think I have a silver pen
Somewhere. Now wouldn’t
That be nice? Silver words
On black paper. A fitting
Tribute for an eloquent orator.
Can he see me from the Eye
Of Heaven, struggling to learn
About black people in this
White world of mine?
I know Martin Luther King
And Langston Hughes
Write poetry in heaven.
Maybe they will send me some
While I sit, pen poised,
Ready for inspiration.
And I will interpret their words
As my own, not knowing
They were gifted to me
By those amazing men.
So here am I, with a blank mind,
And a blank page,
Gift me, Martin.
© Christine Valentine 2007
