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 85th in our Democracy and Hope Series. This series will highlight hopeful aspects about our Democracy using various genres including poems, interviews, short stories, and articles about political events
God said, “Start with love, let it pour like rain, Through the cracks of the world, through the shadows of pain. Speak it bold, in whispers, in laughter, in tears, Build a bridge with your words that outlasts the years.”
I asked Him, “But love? In this shattered place? Where hearts carry scars they’re afraid to erase?” He smiled like the sunrise, warm and wide, “Love,” He said, “is where I abide.”
So I wrote of the mothers who pray through the night, Of lovers who hold on in the absence of light. Of the neighbor who gives though their own hands are bare, Of the stranger who smiles, a balm for despair.
He said, “Write of love as a fierce, steady flame, That burns through the hatred, the guilt, and the shame. Tell them it heals, that it mends and redeems, It’s the soul’s quiet song, the heart’s wildest dream.”
And I saw how love bent, but never broke, How it lifted the weary with each word it spoke. In its forms—soft, loud, silent, or strong, It was the rhythm, the pulse, the beat of my song.
God said, “Start with love, in the New Year’s grace, And you’ll honor My name in each time, in each place.” So I let it spill freely, a gift from above— God said, “Share My words, and begin with love.”
©️Mustafa Santiago Ali
#Poem #NewYear #Love