I sat with Dr. King
on a perfect autumn day
in an incredibly imperfect world

the sun—bright and warm
the shade—comfortable and cool
the air—pleasant and filled with the chatter of children

the stone monument
mammoth and magnificent
compels awe, respect and reverence

the rock is hewn in such a way
that King is present but incompletely
as though he is yet to fully arrive

here comes the dreamer…
here comes the dream…

and what will we do?

will we walk toward the vision?
will we take each other by the hand
and walk there together?

or will we resist?
will we push back on the hewn rock?
will we want the dream to disappear?

and why?

because we are comfortable and set?
because we are uncomfortable and afraid?
because we long ago abandoned dreams and visions?

the immensity of the monument
mysteriously moves my sight
to its smallest feature—Dr. King’s eyes

he is looking beyond what is seen
to the unseen to the not yet
his line of sight the arc to a certain future

he seems to know where we are going
where this will lead
where God intends all of this to end or better yet to begin

I want to go there
to trace the arc with my footsteps and heart
and to go hand in hand with you—with all of you

so let’s take the first step together
hands together
feet together
hearts together

let’s march on
home is waiting.

Brad Sheppard
Martin Luther King Memorial
Washington, DC
October 8, 2026