Best Mahalia Poems
St. Milt’s Grand Opening today
Come and celebrate with us
On Martin Luther King Day
Worldwide choirs and gospel music
Singing MLK’s best loved hymns
Mahalia Jackson, Nina Simon
It’s grand opening, today
“Poetry Kids” reciting poems
Perfect for honoring the mission
Of this humble man, preacher, and scholar
It’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Celebrate the great works he
Did for the Civil Rights Movement
Come and see our gallery
Recitals of Dr. King’s “We Shall Over Come”
“The Dream” his glorious words
That all men are created equal
Representing love and non-violence
We are serving MLK’s favorite foods
MLK was a minister, father, husband
And a son of the South
Here are the foods he loved to eat
Classic Southern foods we all love
A big Sunday meal
Southern delicacies
Fried Chicken
Sweet Potatoes
Pickled Eggs
Smothered Steak
Macaroni and Cheese
Collard Greens
Warm buttermilk cornbread
Quilly-Dr. King’s mother’s recipe
Pecan Pie
Where do we go from here?
Dr. King because of you, we are
Fairer and freer than in your time
Bigotry began to fade
More justice for all
Progress has been made
Dr. Martin Luther King,
You’ll march on in our spirits
Dr. Martin Luther King`s dream lives on
Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend--Martin Luther King Jr.
In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends—Martin Luther King Jr.
I want to lead you to safety like Harriet Tubman,
While we are on our way,
I want to stop traffic like Garrett Morgan,
Before we get there,
I want to right all wrongs like Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall,
While we are here I want to ensure that our minds and spirits are in the
right place and then we will get our hearts pumping like Dr. Daniel Hale Williams,
So that we can run through fields of gold like Jesse and Wilma,
And dance to the beat of a thousand drums like Katherine
Dunham and Josephine Baker,
I want to be the first up to bat like Jackie and Hank,
I want to resound through your ears and your memory bank,
Like Mahalia, Marion and Billie,
I want to fight battles like Muhammad and Joe,
I want to take a stand so that others may sit in comfort,
Like Ida and Rosa,
I want to give of my time, life, heart, mind, body and soul so that future generations
won't have to sit in the dark and sit on the sidelines like
Martin and Malcolm,
I want to soar through the bluest of skies like the
courageous Tuskegee airmen and Dr. Mae Jemison,
I want to be the first beauty you recognize like Vanessa Williams,
I want to undermine and backhand stereotypes like Althea, Venus
and Serena Williams,
I want to paint broad presidential brush strokes of the
the First Lady and her beau with hues of justice like Simmie
I want to act like kings and queens like Harry,
Sidney, Lena and Cicely,
I want to live on through the pages of your memory,
Like Maya, Zora, Lorraine, Langston and James,
can't you see?
Poet: Ken Jordan
Poem: Wonders Of The World
Edited by: Sparkle Jordan
written: June/2015
i e R
k o
c b
a Hank Aaron i
J. Mahalia Jackson n
Miles Davis s
M. Dr Charles Drew o
u. Madam CJ Walker n
h. George Washington Carver. i
a. l
m. A
m. a d
Black Wonders
Of
The World
In the town of Vidalia, GA,
Lived a girl named Mahalia, they say.
Then a strong southern breeze,
Blowing in from the seas,
Blew Vidalia Mahalia away.
What if everything
was
Rehearsed?-
Are we really living
in reverse?
Martin Luther King
never had a dream,
Michael Jordan
never won a ring,
Mahalia Jackson
never chose to sing,
Black Egyptians
were never kings-
-This cold world
is not judged by race,
Trayvon Martin's incident
never took place,
Neil Armstrong
Never went to space,
Steven Bradbury
Never won
First place,
The word Love
Really means Hate
So to do
good deeds-
Should one
become Irate?
What if heaven
was really hell
Nicest spot
in your town
is a jail cell-
Guys don't judge
based on flesh-
Jesse Pickens
is not the best..
When Mahalia lifted her voice in song,
Heaven’s angels must have sung along.
When she sang, "Move up a little higher,"
And, "His eye is on the sparrow."
Sweet, golden throated gospel bird,
She could lift the hearts, of all who heard,
With her Heaven blessed, powerful voice,
When she praised her Savior and rejoiced.
Though nobody knew the trouble she'd seen,
It did not break her, or make her mean.
She trusted God’s amazing grace,
And He gave her strength to run the race.
She sings with angels, now, I know.
Yes, she “got over”, long time ago.
She ran the race and reached her goal,
And her songs still echo in my soul.
"To God* be the glory" indeed
For granting gift of wondrous worth
Eternal life by Gospel seed
Assuring bliss of heaven’s mirth.
I say, “It is well with my soul"
To God be the glory indeed
For achievement of divine goal
Reaching-out to meet other’s need.
Propelled by the Lord Who does lead
"I’m pressing on the upward way"
To God be the glory indeed
Inspiring my faith every day.
"Victory in Jesus" --- that’s right!
Such is true to me beyond creed.
Privileged to carry His light
To God be the glory indeed.
*Jude 1:25 KJV To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
1. To God be the Glory by Fanny J. Crosby- Hymn sung by CBBC Choir; Ira Sankey had introduced it during Moody's 1873-1874 evangelistic campaigns.
2. It is Well with my Soul by H.G. Spafford-Hymn sung by CBBC Choir; also by Sandi Patty and Mahalia Jackson
3. Higher Ground by Johnson Oatman, Jr.-Hymn sung by CBBC Choir; also by the Smucker Family
4. Victory in Jesus by Eugene M. Bartlett-Hymn sung by CBBC Choir; also by Band Steele
2nd place, "4 Lines From Any Song" Quatern Poetry Writing Contest
Sponsored by Joseph May; judged on 2/10/2024
I've always been a mellow
type of fellow
Laidback like dem seats
in that Cadillac
Yeah! Real chill like that
sleek '73 Deville
Even as a little boy,
The jukebox was my toy
Sweet rhythms of life
abating all ills and strife
A manchild in a candy store
Robust bass, lovely strings, classy keys,
Harmonic horns...Need I say more?
No worries! I will continue___
so vast, so deep, so true
Riding that old country road,
just shaking off the load
Hip-Hopping to the urban ghetto
Tupac and Biggie fo sho'
Miles and Miles of Trane
jazzing through the sun and rain
Blues up, blues down, blues all around
Willie Dixon and that Chess Records sound
Feeling it deep in my spirit and heart
The voice of Mahalia Jackson I can't depart
Luther Vandross to Bob Marley
Bob James to Uncle Charlie
Madonna to Marvin Gaye
Earth, Wind & Fire to Coldplay
Jimi Hendrix to Janis Joplin
Stephanie Mills to Phil Collins
Blondie to Muddy Waters
Whitesnake to Crystal Waters
The Beatles to Bobby Bland
Sam Cooke to Duran Duran
Jackie Wilson to Jackson 5
Otis Redding to the Maroon 5
Cassandra Wilson to the Doobie Brothers
Earl Klugh to the Pointer Sisters
Regina Belle to James Brown
Patti LaBelle to Chris Brown
(Pause)
Man! I think I'd better stop
Before I start talking about Prince
and the King of Pop
But I have a confession to make
Please hear me out; it's not fake
I can't help it; I'm a melophile
Now, excuse me while I go tune
in for a while
I was reading Michelle MacDonald’s superb piece of art “Sea Shanty”
Secretly, under the haiku master Katherine Stella’s “Yum Yum Tree”
When smiling Carol Brown, invited me to her grand “Surprise Party”
The charming lady of the soup was no longer feeling bad or “Sideline”
After mending herself, thru helpful John Boak’s “Like The Best Wine”
I am not sure, if, playful Julie Bristow told her, the miracle of “Divine”
Thank God! Doret Cope sighed; she didn’t suffer from a “Stolen Love”
She enjoyed the work of Dawn Drickman’s “The Tiger And The Dove”
She is a good person, that I told her my secret, of having “Other Love”
At the party, Keith Bickerstaffe, without her luckless maid “Ophelia”
Was talking to Sir William Robinson, the great man behind “Mahalia”
I guessed she asked him why I wrote “O God, The Rat Has A Phobia”
Dancing flawlessly, to the nostalgic tune of Jeffrey Lee’s “Music”
Was my haiku mentor, she’s mesmerized by Mahalia’s “Light Magic”
But co-host, a certain Adam Piper was caught trapped, at “The Attic”
I did surprise all, even William Robinson, “When I Stop And Pray”
I interrupted my recitation, of own favorite “Cast Your Doubts Away”
‘Cos, I rather break my pen, but not a promise: “And To Thee, I Pray”
Epulaeryu chef Joseph Spence Sr. who “Makes The World Go Round”
Was explaining, his cooking, to sweet Elaine George, but “Spellbound”
By the strong romantic power, of yellow “Dried Rose On The Ground”
That got humble Daria Stone confused, of feeling “Unlocked, Not Free”
A beauteous Deborah Simpson smiled and asked him: “Sequester Me”
Joyful Karen O’Leary said, the handsome chef, will “Travel With Me”
"I Have A Dream" by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
Date: August 28, 1963
Did you know Dr. King's
iconic "I Have A Dream" speech,
arguably the most famous
in history almost...
never happened? It's true.
"Don't forget about the dream, Martin!,"
the late, great gospel singer
Mahalia Jackson reminded
her good friend,
mid-speech.
She never got credit for
lighting a spark to
the speech of the century,
so thank you, Miss Jackson!
Sadly, King's dream
has yet to fully come to fruition.
We've seen monumental progress
since then, but we still
have long ways to go
as a nation.
Date written: 01/08/2021
The incomparable Mahalia Jackson
Her celestial singing voice sprung a stunned reaction
The "queen of gospel music"; a soul-stirring siren
They don't make em' like her anymore. A true titan!
Date written and posted: 06/17/2019