Come Sunday Morning
Rodney D. Coates
Sun beats its rays against the window
Smell of coffee, waffles, eggs, bacon fill the air
Sounds of gospel sets the mood
Brother long in the shower trying to sing
Momma dressed in her Sunday best
Dad suited up and ready to go
It’s Sunday morning.
Church packed with friends and kin
Visitors sitting on any pew
Dancers stream with flags and pennants
Music sets the atmosphere
Drums and base, guitar and sax
Electric organ and synthesizer
Soul, jazz, blues, -merge in that gospel beat.
Granny fixes little Kia’s hair
Jackie, from the corner, walks up the stair
Starts to sing of Amazin Grace
The choir fills in the spaces.
Deacon James, used to run the numbers, now prays
As Bettye, the junkie, murmurs along.
Martha holds Kimmie discarded at birth
Raymond, on parole, tickles the keyboard.
Juwana, formerly John, strums the guitar.
Pastor Marsha starts to pray
Mother Sarah hums a hymn
Brother Benji strums along
Shouts of deliverance
the Holy ghost comes
foreign tongues heard
somebody got a dance going on.
Stained glass and strained lives
Preacher man stands to deliver the word
Nehemiah wanted to rebuild a wall
What walls do you have need rebuilding
Family –broken and abandoned children
Neighborhoods –wracked with crime and drugs
Schools –unable to teach, failure the norm
Fathers –abandoning their children
Sons –growing up hating fathers not there
Mothers –raising babies not their own
Daughters –pregnant before their time
Hope-lost on the highway to nowhere
Despair-on every door
Blood –where brothers killing brothers
Hate-dropping by the score
Churches –doing business as usual
While hell’s gate is open once more.
Preacher man sings his sermon
Gotta rebuild that wall
Stop hating that brother cause he different
Stay outta your neighbor’s bed
Clean up around your own back door
Leave others to clean up theirs
Quit spending your seeds in strange gardens
Stop complaining’ bout what you should’ve had
Teach somebody about their future
Reclaim those dreams you once had
Forgiveness is granted regardless of sin
Stop looking ‘neath another’s problems
Take responsibilities for your actions
Be the change you want the world to be
Listen as the songbird praises the Sun
Watch as the rainbow paints the sky
Hearken to the wisdom of children
Love regardless of circumstances.
Preacher woman takes up the tune
Searches the room for an amen
Sings of forgiveness and redemption
Extends the love everywhere
Come you who are now broken hearted
No shame in whatever you’ve done
We do not condemn for we have all sinned
Only God will be your judge
We will walk with you if you want us
We will not shun or forsake
Come let us break bread together
As family, kin and one.
Come Sunday morning
Rodney D. Coates
Sun beats its rays against the window
Smell of coffee, waffles, eggs, bacon fill the air
Sounds of gospel sets the mood
Brother long in the shower trying to sing
Momma dressed in her Sunday best
Dad suited up and ready to go
It’s Sunday morning.
Church packed with friends and kin
Visitors sitting on any pew
Dancers stream with flags and pennants
Music sets the atmosphere
Drums and base, guitar and sax
Electric organ and synthesizer
Soul, jazz, blues, -merge in that gospel beat.
Granny fixes little Kia’s hair
Jackie, from the corner, walks up the stair
Starts to sing of Amazin Grace
The choir fills in the spaces.
Deacon James, used to run the numbers, now prays
As Bettye, the junkie, murmurs along.
Martha holds Kimmie discarded at birth
Raymond, on parole, tickles the keyboard.
Juwana, formerly John, strums the guitar.
Pastor Marsha starts to pray
Mother Sarah hums a hymn
Brother Benji strums along
Shouts of deliverance
the Holy ghost comes
foreign tongues heard
somebody got a dance going on.
Stained glass and strained lives
Preacher man stands to deliver the word
Nehemiah wanted to rebuild a wall
What walls do you have need rebuilding
Family –broken and abandoned children
Neighborhoods –wracked with crime and drugs
Schools –unable to teach, failure the norm
Fathers –abandoning their children
Sons –growing up hating fathers not there
Mothers –raising babies not their own
Daughters –pregnant before their time
Hope-lost on the highway to nowhere
Despair-on every door
Blood –where brothers killing brothers
Hate-dropping by the score
Churches –doing business as usual
While hell’s gate is open once more.
Preacher man sings his sermon
Gotta rebuild that wall
Stop hating that brother cause he different
Stay outta your neighbor’s bed
Clean up around your own back door
Leave others to clean up theirs
Quit spending your seeds in strange gardens
Stop complaining’ bout what you should’ve had
Teach somebody about their future
Reclaim those dreams you once had
Forgiveness is granted regardless of sin
Stop looking ‘neath another’s problems
Take responsibilities for your actions
Be the change you want the world to be
Listen as the songbird praises the Sun
Watch as the rainbow paints the sky
Hearken to the wisdom of children
Love regardless of circumstances.
Preacher woman takes up the tune
Searches the room for an amen
Sings of forgiveness and redemption
Extends the love everywhere
Come you who are now broken hearted
No shame in whatever you’ve done
We do not condemn for we have all sinned
Only God will be your judge
We will walk with you if you want us
We will not shun or forsake
Come let us break bread together
As family, kin and one.
Come Sunday morning
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