"Lightning’s Son: The Journey of Noah Lyles”

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…

I am Noah Lyles, see me run,  Sunlight marvels at my speed,  In the cradle of the dawn,  I’m the echo of a thousand breaths, freed.

Ancestors call out my names,  Etching legends in the wind,  Their whispers, like sacred flames,  Fuel the fire within.

I run for my people,  For those who couldn’t sprint,  Their dreams are my steeple,  In every race, their spirit is inked.

I run for my country,  A land stitched with pain and pride,  From the fields to the factory,  We rise, we stride, we ride.

I am an Olympics champion,  Gold sewn in my veins,  A testament to dominion,  Over life's relentless chains.

In the quiet before the gun,  The world holds its breath,  Every heartbeat is a drum,  In the symphony of death.

I am Noah Lyles, lightning’s son,  In my stride, the future gleams,  Every race, a prayer spun,  Every finish line, a dream.

I run through shadows of the past,  Where the chains of history rust,  In the light, I stand steadfast,  Turn oppression to dust.

Feel the rhythm of my feet,  A cadence carved in the earth,  In every victory, defeat,  I rebirth, I unearth.

See me run, see me soar,  In my flight, the world reclaims,  With every step, I restore,  A legacy untamed.

Sunlight marvels at my speed,  In the arc of my journey, I find,  A story, a creed,  A testament of time.

Ancestors call out my names,  Their legacy, my guide,  In their strength, I frame,  The courage to abide.

I run for my people, I run for my kin,  With every heartbeat, I defy,  The limits placed within,  In my eyes, the future’s nigh.

I run for my country, a tapestry of dreams,  In every stride, a verse,  Of hopes, of schemes,  A universe dispersed.

I am an Olympics champion,  Crowned in the sweat of resilience,  In the glow of ambition,  I stand in defiance.

I am Noah Lyles, see me run,  In my speed, the world transcends,  Every race, a battle won,  Every finish, where the future bends. ©️MustafaSantiagoAli

#Poetry #NoahLyles #Olympic2024 #GOLD   #ProudBlue #OlympicGames   #Paris2024   #Noah