More poems written by the Public Art Team for the Open Mic:
Mikhail Autman
LIONHEART
In the rolling hills of Kentucky,
A young boy grew up strong and free,
With a heart full of courage and determination,
He set out to make his mark on history.
Charles Young was his name,
And he dreamed of serving his land,
A man of strength and honor,
With a heart that could command.
He climbed the ranks of the army,
With skill and bravery to spare,
And when his country called upon him,
He was always there.
He rode through the mountains of the West
With the buffalo soldiers by his side,
Fighting for the freedom of all,
With a courage that could not be denied.
Charles Young,
A hero of his time,
A man with purpose and pride,
And though his journey may have ended,
His legacy will forever abide.
Mikail Banks
THE BRAVE
Charles Young , a man of might,
His courage shining in the fight ,
With honor and with valor true,
His service to his country grew.
Born a slave, he faced the odds,
But through his strength and faith in God,
He rose above, with skill and grace,
To lead with honor in his place.
As a soldier, he showed his worth,
His bravery shining through his birth,
And in his time as an officier,
He proved his mettle, strong and sure.
Through all his years, he blazed a trail,
A hero who could never fail,
And in our hearts, his memory lives,
A shining light that always gives.
So let us honor Charles Young,
A man of courage, strong and young,
Whose life and service we hold dear,
And whose example we revere.
Tiffany Baptiste
A Trailblazer
A man of might,
A trailblazer who fought the fight,
Born into slavery,
he rose above
he showed his the world his strength and love.
He joined the army, Became a leader
A buffalo soldier, A true believer
In justice, honor and the right
To serve his country with all his might.
His path was not an easy one,
Barriers broken, battles won,
He paved the way for those to come,
And inspired many to overcome.
Charles Young, a hero true,
A legacy that will renew,
A spirit of courage and grace,
That time nor distance can erase.
Sun Day
The buffalo soldiers
They say we’ll never get it.
I believe when people hear the colored
Side of the story–
“Injustice anywhere is an insult
To justice everywhere.”
They chant and throw objects but I’m not
Giving up.
I feel like I could walk all night for freedom.
cop s yell and block the roads and order
People go back. Groups of Caucasians chant
in our faces and hold up signs, but all I can
Say is, “keep walking.”
Eric Pearson
Summers are getting hotter,
Faced with spells of drought,
Our climate is now changing,
It’s true without a doubt.
Our earth is crumbling,
Our earth is grumbling,
You need to think twice,
You need to think right,
Solar Panels on rooftops,
Or growing your crops,
They can save the world.
We need to be more like the buffalo soldiers
Helping protect communities from wildfires,
All of us one by one come together as a unity,
Impact the earth the right way, discard all the cruelty.
This earth doesn’t just rely on you and me,
We shall help out like the buffalo soldiers and protect our communities.
Jackson Pietkiewicz (JP)
From living in his own land
To being whipped by a farm hand
He’d never seen such hate
Yesterday they killed Nate
The owner beat them mercilessly
After he found his boy Percy
Joined the blue coats and fought the hatred
To avenge his dear friend Nathan
Sioux called them the buffalo soldiers
But he felt like they secretly scolded them
All he does now is ride his pony
To remember the life before him
And he’ll ride till he dies, with good men by his side
