IN MEMORIAM: EMMA J. MACAFITY
Emma J. Macafity was a beloved member of the MLK Institute for Nonviolence community.She brought her open and loving presence wherever she went. She was full of deep spirituality and unafraid to share her whole self with us. Emma was a frequent participant at our Beloved Community Dinners and MLK Institute events. She was inspired by our dinner dialogues to begin writing a play for young people.
Emma passed away peacefully in her sleep on August 8, 2018. Though we will miss her, wewill forever hold her memory in our hearts. Her family shared her poem at her memorialservice on August 20, 2018:
“Some Mother’s Child”
By Emma J. Macafity
Some mother’s child, my Grandma would say
Of the folks who passed our way
People who were called bums, wino and dirty whore
Souls who sought refuge inside of the hallway door
Branded, burned, scorched by shame
Guilt was their address, pain their middle name
Walked with Grandma, was just a little tot
My eyes were full, my head held an awful lot
Grandma taught me to see
One of these folks could have been me
She said takes more than books to be smart
God made us all, He gave us a Soul, Spirit and a Heart.
Grandma taught me how to live
Whether in the North or the South
She said, I owed the time of day to all that we would meet
Hold my head up high, dressed in a smile, don’t ever drag my feet!
There were days when we were at the table
Grandma hummed a song about how much God was able
Under her breath, she would look at the window and sigh
The tears would meet under her chin and welled up in her eyes
I would sit and wonder what that was all about
Learned that she lived in a world where secrets crawled into hide
Hidden places where ego and pride quickly died
People of the Universe, listen here
This should be a world where we all care!
Don’t be so quick to judge, it’s easy to be hard!
Remember you could be guilty of some hidden charge,
Don’t you ever play God!
We have to work on being whole
Do the fine-tuning on body, spirit and soul!
Seek truth it will capture and find you
Merely existing and not truly living will never do
Life can be so worthwhile
Always remember though
You are simply Some Mother’s Child!