Jesse Owens, 100m in Berlin, 1936
A steadying breath
to prove their propaganda wrong.
Stretched fingers hold the body in place
like rope does back home.
A steady beat in his chest
like the rocks that peppered his window.
Knees locked in anticipation
for the handshake he won’t receive.
Adrenaline courses
through gold veins in the beautiful brown body.
Blocks shackle his feet.
They set him free.
Grade: 12
Woodside
Alexandria
Langston Hughes
To live in a world without poverty.
Jackie Robinson