When Lincoln came to New Orleans
He arrived as a young man
With no life experiences outside of
Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois
Where he was born and raised.
It was here that he witnessed human beings
Being treated like cattle
Shackled together
And held in captivity.
The result shocked his consciousness
And forever separated him
From the barbarous horde
Which refused to acknowledge their humanity,
Since doing so would force them to confront
How debased their own humanity had become.
He carried this experience back to Illinois,
Still the penniless young man he was
When he first arrived,
But instilled with a moral purpose
That guided him for the rest of his days.
And all of us are better for it.
If I never wrote another thing in my life, I would be proud to say I put this one together in a hotel lobby in 2021. It can be found, along with some historical context, at poetryatlas.com with a search for New Orleans.
