“What We Need Now Is a New Nonviolent Civil Rights Movement”

He sat and thought about the words

He had spoken

They had been a catalyst for the

Gathering now in a small church

In upper New York State

And now he could think of only one thing

The silent resolve of all around him

They had just finished singing

“We Shall Overcome”

One of them had added a verse he had not heard before

It fit

He sang with the rest of them

We shall face the hate

We shall face the hate

We shall face the hate today

Oh deep in my heart

I do believe

We shall face the hate today

Soon they all stood and walked out of the Church

The news people were told this gathering would march

Just as in the distant past

They now walked silently outsde

Through clusters of reporters

Photographers took pictures

They moved on silently

They met a large complement of police in military garb.

As they walked by

They heard snatches of talk.

“You are provocateurs”

“You make things worse”

“You don’t belong here”

He was toward the front of some twenty marchers

Beyond the Police, he saw a collection of pickup trucks

A large number of possibly hostile sorts milled about

He began to sing

Others joined him

We are not afraid

We are not afraid

We are not afraid today

Later, when night had fallen

The local TV news said

“Veterans of the 1960s Civil Rights movement

Marched peacefully through a gathering of

Hostile onlookers outside of Conklin

Though violence was predicted

There was none

The Civil Rights group from long ago

Achieved their goal

A peaceful meeting with the family

Of the shooter

And town officials

Later. riding back to the city

He said out loud

“I was afraid”

“We were all were,” said a voice in back