Running was a significant part of my survival and development. I grew up in the city and running was an integral part of my being chased. People would see me and my survial instinct would kick into match their predator desire to bully me. We run for various reasons and in many situations. I wrote this poem which Char McAllister set to music with other creative elements.
https://youtu.be/AnZ8LF8qfVg?si=8E96zHPJYgz7JYou

We Ran



Long years ago,

We ran as children as a part of play,

In games of tag and keep-away;

On the bases and on the field,

We ran to win and never yield.



We ran for safety, to escape a stranger;

Across the street at the sight of danger;

We ran to let off steam,

For the space to scream,

To a place to dream,

As we release the anger.



We ran for advancement and achievement;

Into and away from trouble and bereavement.

We ran as a metaphor for being alive,

To express the drive,

So, we could survive.



We ran when chased with a weapon or gun;

When threatened by the gang of more than one;

From the jukebox to the club

As the singers sang;

Into the night and into the streets,

We ran to victory and from defeat.

We ran as we ached at our core;

We ran in fright, 

When we could fight no more.



We ran to hope 

And to separate from others;

We ran to discover and to recover.

We ran from the jowls of hate

And those who wanted to incarcerate.

We ran in sport, on the court, in the alley;

Ran from behind as we staged a rally.

We ran for recognition,

As if on a mission;

To run up the score on the competition;

We ran for it was in us to run;

For it was how, we got things done.



We ran to distance ourselves 

From the trader’s whip;

The ruthless profit minded invaders ships

We ran when they severed our relationships.

And took our loved ones to another plantation.

We ran from miscegenation

Without representation,

And segregation

Without explanation.



We ran with Harriet in the Underground.

We ran low, quick, and softly,

So, we could not be found;

When staying was costly.

We ran from the stories being told;

When we were tortured, beaten, and sold.

We ran from the fear of retribution;

From racist biases and institutions.

We run because the evil had begun

And wickedness preceded the setting sun.

We ran as being chased by the men in blue;

With the swiftness of a runaway

Being viewed as revenue;



We ran as a symbol of being safe;

To have the independence,

A chance to escape;

To bring a gold medal to our nation;

To be prominent and dominant

In professional sports;

We ran for office and to avoid the courts.



We ran as Barack and Brandon ran.

We ran as Shirley and Kamala ran.

We ran like Jesse to protect home; 

It was the GPS in our chromosomes.

We ran to greet our families;

To love and embrace,

Where home was a comfort place,

Surrounded by God’s living 

And saving grace.



We ran to and during our time on Earth. 

We ran when mobile after a blessed birth;

We ran to and from our comfort zones;

We ran in groups and ran alone.

We ran into and during the war;

When we did not know what we were fighting for.



We ran, reflecting on moments,

From the recent past.

We ran to clear our minds;

When we were outcasts.

To face the evil in front

And monsters behind,

Toward an unknown future;

Hoping that we would find

An opportunity,  

To be as neighbors in community,

Pursuing something,

Not from something,

But forward and toward

Not running away,

And seeking the bounty 

Of a brighter day. 





Copyright © 2023 Orlando Ceaser