To Rebuild

 

The house was built, 

Brick by brick, pane by pane, 

Initially withstanding winds, 

The force of a hurricane. 

But over time, the faults are found 

As storm after storm 

Assails, the craftsmanship outdated, 

In need of reform. 

The windows break, one by one, 

Under the weight of wrongs, the structure strains, 

Until one day fire catches, 

And only the foundation of good intentions remains. 

While easiest would be to walk, 

To abandon, moving on to rebuild, 

The value is seen by those who have called it 

Home, desires to be fulfilled. 

Remembering the mistakes, 

Maintaining the hope of freedom, 

Hand in hand, we work, 

Entering a new season. 

The work is not complete until 

The walls protect all who live there, 

No exceptions. Abandonment of all 

Unnecessary despair. 

A job led by all, not by one, 

We work long days turn long nights. 

The creation of our hands 

Proving more than surface level acknowledgment of rights. 

The past is not buried 

But underlies 

What we have transformed 

Before our eyes.

Hallie Knight