they laid it down

They Laid it Down

Rosa in 55: Montgomery

Stonewall​​ in​​ 69: ​​ New York City

Spontaneous, unplanned

without support or goals

they laid it down.

They laid down the burden

of​​ hate of self

and of​​ that​​ imposed.

They let go and ​​ 

they laid down the weight

of fear and took up

the yoke of hope.

There was no strategy​​ and

there was no talk of​​ 

any third way.

There were no listening groups

or discernment councils;

the speeches came later.

They laid it down;

They laid it down.

and​​ 

they mopped their own​​ 

blood off the streets

and carried their own​​ 

fallen to their graves.

They laid it down and they

tore down the gates

that would not open.

Where were the​​ gatekeepers;

those​​ that had​​ the keys?

Why did they not throw them open?

The​​ high priests and the councils

​​ held the keys to the Kingdom,

but they would not​​ turn the locks,

or let​​ loose the chains.

Where was the church;

where were the​​ Christians?

The oppressed had to bring

the ways of Jesus to the​​ 

people of God.