Morning Air

​The morning chill creeps through my layers as I sit on my porch, twirling my finger playfully in my whiskers. I swallow a sip of coffee while tugging at them, lost in the depths of my thoughts. The amber glow of the collision night and dawn illuminate the horizon. Today, a man was born that brought so much light to the world. His very presence hurled us out of darkness; we had been submerged in for nearly a hundred years. His vision, his courage, and his devotion to humanity will never be forgotten.

Sipping coffee, I look at the lights turn on one by one, as the neighborhood awakens. In a community where I could have never lived in if it wasn’t for the efforts of this man. Not because where I live now is better than where I grew up. Society’s attitude is better. I remember, as a child, the speech of this brave man. Every year during this time, I heard a declaration of hope, love, determination, and courage. It was one hell of a dream.

Now a seasoned man, I wonder if my efforts in life have helped fulfill that dream. Most of my life, I spent fighting for God, Country, and the ideal of freedom. Countless hours spent away in pursuit of that dream on the mountain top. Endless miles walked for that dream of the Promised Land. No mile of this did I walk alone. Each mile walked, and every hour spent away was in the faith that a moment of hatred was erased. I hoped they would ring the bell of freedom. A sound heard in the souls of each man and woman in the land. A faith I held onto with all my might, even though it was sometimes fleeting.

​Each time I hear kike, it takes away a little bit of hope. Freedom's bell rings a little softer with the use of cracker. Humanity's love weakens when spick or chili pepper is spewed. Each utterance of nigger lessened humanity's dignity. However, each time I listened to these words, I fought a little harder to fulfill the dream of a man I never knew. I struggled a little harder to fulfill a dream; our forefathers had written over a hundred years before my birth.

I look upon my granddaughter, who shifts under her blanket of freedom; freedom provided from the fulfillment of this dream. Today a year older, she is allowed to live in a world and taste the crispness of a freedom that wouldn't have been without his vision. A smile comes across my face as I finish my coffee. I smack my lips because I too taste the crispness of freedom in the fresh morning air.