Poet Carl Wendell Himes Jr. wrote this in 1969 in memory of MLK.
Now that he is safely dead
Let us praise him
Build monuments to his glory
Sing hosannas to his name.
Dead men make
Such convenient heroes:
They cannot rise to challenge the images
We would fashion from their lives.
And besides it is easier to build monuments
Than to make a better world.
So, now that he is safely dead
We, with eased consciences
Will teach our that he was a great man...
Knowing that the cause for which he lived
Is still a cause and the dream for which he lived
Is still a dream...A dead man's dream.
And safely a statue where we can take the school kids and maybe leave some flowers and a poem or two. Change the wording just a little and this could be used for any of our Founding Fathers and/or the political and religious leaders we say we revere. Just use your imagination.
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