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“The Cycle of Life” – A Tribute to Julian Bond

January 14, 2016 would have been the 76th birthday of Julian Bond who was born in 1940.

On January 14, 2016, I had the honor of participating in a “Celebration of Life Convocation” for Julian Bond.

http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20160115_Julian_Bond_remembered_at_Lincoln_U.html

http://www.dailylocal.com/general-news/20160117/lincoln-honors-a-good-son-julian-bond

It was held at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania where Julian Bond spent some of his formative years because his father, Horace Mann Bond was the first African American President of Lincoln University.

One of the poems I shared in tribute to Julian Bond during the January 14th Convocation was:

The Cycle of Life

The cycle of life is the same for us all

Each of us must answer when God calls

We live and we die.

This is a certainty

The only question is what will be our legacy?

The legacy of Julian Bond brought us here today

His life had something very important to say

He lived a life of purpose, a mission fulfilled

He deserves “peace – be – still”

From a co-founder of SNCC to a family man

Mr. Bond embraced a life with many demands

As a leader in the fight for freedom and Civil Rights

Julian Bond led a remarkable life

A Georgia state legislator, a TV commentator

A writer, a great debater

This man of Morehouse College pedigree

This honorary son of Lincoln University

Chairman of the NAACP

Southern Poverty Law Center President

His was a life well-spent

With his sharp mind and his big heart

With love for his people, he did his part

What he did and what he had to say

Showed America a better way

His voice kept our “Eyes on the Prize”

His work inspired his people to rise

In case you didn’t know it, Julian Bond was also a poet

Now he’s in the place of life after death

He has inhaled and exhaled his very last breath

Mr. Bond lived at the pleasure of God’s desire

He answered the call to take him higher

So, cry a little and hold him in your heart

If you keep him there, you will never be apart

And the next time you see the morning sunrise

Remember to keep your “Eyes on the Prize”

Because the cycle of life is the same for us all

Each of us must answer when God calls

CeLillianne Green Copyright © 2016

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