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Kalamazoo Lincoln Statue Dedication Poem, August 27, 2023
"The Gift for Which We're Blessed"
Traveling east from Illinois
On Michigan’s Central Rail,
He arrived by two for his time to speak
In the Village of Kalamazoo.
He came by invitation
Before his national fame
Some papers even misprinted
The spelling of his name.
In alpaca coat and necktie
And black satin vest
He stood “full measure,”
And delivered his address.
He spoke with articulation
Against the ruling of the day
That set aside the agreement
Perfected by Henry Clay.
In this land of freedom—
Divided North and South—
There was a contradiction
About fundamental rights.
Rights the Founders told us
Are from the Father of Lights.
Rights that are imprinted
In the soul of every life.
In the ensuing saga
That turned to civil strife,
He was a voice for freedom,
And for basic human rights.
“Come to the rescue” he told us
To the principle that sets men free,
And bind our hearts together
In freedom and equality.
Then he bowed in earnest—
A fait accompli!—
And accepted a friendly offer
To sit for a cup of tea.
The next day he left us
On a railway heading west,
And the time he spent among us
Is the gift for which we're blessed.
—C. S. Brown
