Ode to Martin Luther King

History is made for royalty and common people. I found a common man who deserves to be called King because of the greatness of his deeds and the nobility of his character. Like many people around the world, I heard and read about the leadership of Dr. King and how he courageously and peacefully led a generation of people to freedom, at the cost of his precious life. In this moment when history has decided to honor him through the creation of a monument dedicated to his cause, I have decided to join the multitude of admirers who travelled from many parts of the world to pay a tribute to the one who I proudly call "The King."Yes, Dr. King fought bravely for all people so that civil rights and social justice would be granted to those who are oppressed. In the political battlefield of segregated America, where privileges were denied to black people, Dr. King stood as the symbol of a rhetorical nightingale who seduced the heart of the world with his undeniable sense of truth and his unbreakable determination to see justice prevail for all people. Yes, "The King" fought for all of us despite accusations, humiliations, betrayals, jails, intimidations and assassination. To honor him, I put these verses on paper, keeping in mind that my talents will never ever pay proper tribute to the greatness of a man of the caliber of Dr. King. But, I could not have conceived my life as a poet without honoring the one who gave me the right to express myself freely in America and in other parts of the world... Dr. King is our King and proudly I proclaim this fact. Issoufou Ouattara