10 | September | 2017 | Making it write

Lion

The King of the beasts knows
earth’s devastation
falls far beyond the reach of his dominion.
He gazes up, a humble supplication
more compelling than human prayer.

The Caribbean has been hit by Hurricane Irma, so Michelle, who lives in Antigua, has more urgent matters on her mind than her weekly photo prompt. Antigua has come off comparatively lightly, and is doing all it can to help Barbuda, her sister island, which has been devastated.

The scale of damage wrought by this year’s extreme worldwide weather conditions is unprecedented, and too overwhelming to take in, but my thoughts go out to all those who have been, and are being affected.

I didn’t manage to check out last week’s challenge until this morning, and when I looked at the image, it spoke to me; the lion’s expression seemed so eerily appropriate to both the climactic and political difficulties of this planet.

In addition to linking to picture prompt, I have tagged to Michelle’s more urgent post concerning Antigua and Barbuda. For anyone wishing to make a donation to the Barbuda relief fund, there is an essential link on the post.

Joan Baez. That’s the first thought that comes to mind when I see or hear the word Overcome.

I could write a poem, or confess to the way I’ve been feeling lately, but the thought of Joan Baez makes anything I write about myself insignificant. She didn’t write the song, We Shall Overcome, and she wasn’t the only one to sing it – it’s been recorded many times, by many artists, and millions of people in audiences have added their voices, but she sang it for the crowd gathered on the Mall during the Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C., on August 29th, 1963, and she was still singing it in 2010, notably to Barack Obama, at the White House. After 45 years and countless repeats, this incredible woman still sang it with conviction.

I couldn’t choose between a 1965 recording and the White House one, so I give you both of them. When I listen to the first one, her voice makes me feel as if I’m going to melt, while the second one gives me goosebumps and brings tears to my eyes every time.