In 1995, Dr. Maya Angelou wrote “A Brave and Startling Truth” to commemorate the United Nations 50th Anniversary. Prior to delivering her poem, she said and I quote, “I wrote this piece for every human being on earth.” Twenty-five years later, it is in that same spirit that I have written and delivered to every human being on earth “Be Strong Be Very Courageous” in lieu of the recent coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
POEM TO THE WORLD NO. 1
BE STRONG BE VERY COURAGEOUS
My brother my sister be strong be very courageous
To the generation who is able to call today, today
There is a garden in Buckingham Palace—though short of a Garden of Eden
It has within its confine beauty sustained by love
An elegant landscape that has suffered long
Yet it still embraces an ambiance that is kind
My brother my sister be strong be very courageous
There is a land flowing with people
Inside a Great Wall that stretches across its plains
Such appreciation for a phenomenon claimed visible from space
A witness to civilizations envied not, but by historians alike
My brother my sister be strong be very courageous
To the eyes who have gazed upon her majestic height
There stands an iron lady addressed by suitors as the Eiffel Tower
A symbol for lovers that though high vaunts not itself
Adorned as a bride to be wed in a celebration to many
Not puffed up in lieu of her beauty but an international monument to all
My brother my sister be strong be very courageous
To the offspring of the men and women who knocked down a wall
Whose ancestors in Berlin made freedom ring around the world
When a decision was made to not behave unseemly
When through a mighty act of love a people sought not their own
But to reunite a society that had been long divided
My brother my sister be strong be very courageous
Whose feet have stood upon a solid foundation that reaches deeper than water
A figure for a nation, the Taj Mahal embodies adoration for another
A passion not easily provoked created the memorial that stands to this day
Each block, each gemstone carefully placed in an architectural artwork like no other
No thought of evil was employed during its miraculous arrangement
My brother my sister be strong be very courageous
Whether gladiator or spectator at the world’s greatest entertainment venue
The Colosseum epitomizes the ultimate in competition
Rejoice not in the iniquity it was initially built for
But rejoice in the truth that it stands as a staple to be mimicked
Therefore, millions around the world benefit from its blueprint
My brother my sister be strong be very courageous
There is a volcano climbed by many that touches the lower limits of the sky
The soul of a country, a place of worship, off to Mount Fuji one must fly
A place that bears breathtaking lakes and waterfalls
Captured in works of art and poetry, people believe its awesome power
My brother my sister be strong be very courageous
Even in deaths and sufferings there will arise a deliverer
The creation of a community of need as by Saint Basil
Does a cathedral mark the same name but from more humble beginnings
Through both are delivered a hope for all things
My brother my sister be strong be very courageous
To every immigrant whose vision of opportunity burned
To the flame of liberty, a gift that came from afar
A statue that signifies a people who can endure all things
Who possess a love that will never fail
Therefore, my brother my sister be strong be very courageous