Mustafa Santiago Ali
Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali is the Executive Vice President of Conservation & Justice for the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), former Interim Chief of Programs at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), and Instructor at American University. He is the Founder and CEO of Revitalization Strategies. He also serves as a commissioner for The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS). He is an award-winning writer and poet focused on social justice. Dr. Ali is frequently seen on television, including appearances on MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, VICE, FUSE, BET, National Geographic, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, and Democracy NOW! Mustafa is also a regular guest on Roland Martin Unfiltered, Black News Channel, Tavis Smiley Show, The Dean Obeidallah Show, and many others…
Editor's Note: This poem is the 100th in our Democracy and Hope Series. This series will highlight hopeful aspects about our Democracy using various genres including poems
I wrote this for the lovers, the ones who hold hands in the dark, who carve their names in constellations, make a symphony from sparks. The ones who fight for light when the night cut deep, who sow dreams in the cracks where the concrete weeps.
For the lovers who ain’t scared to build, who know love ain’t a drug, it’s a force, it’s a shield. It’s a blueprint, a battle hymn, a quiet refrain, it’s a march through the fire with a kiss in the rain.
For the lovers who whisper when the world too loud, who hold space for each other in a hostile crowd. Who plant seeds in the soil where the hate been sown, who water them with tears ‘til the roots take hold.
For the lovers who know that the revolution breathe in the way we love, in the way we grieve. In the way we hold tight when the world pull apart, in the way that we heal when they break our hearts.
For the lovers who ain’t perfect but still try hard, who carry whole worlds in a single regard. Who love in the quiet, who love in the noise, who love in the struggle, who love in the choice.
For the lovers who stay when the winds get cold, who make gold out the wounds that refuse to close. For the lovers who prove that love still survives— this one for y’all, keep the fire alive.
©️MustafaSantiagoAli
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