80 years old, a story that she has not yet told,
With sharp wit she finds reasons to still smile
Daring the world to test her faith, her patience
In her shoes you wouldn’t last a city mile.
Grey river waves crown her lovely head as she
Sways listening to her son sing his song
These soulful, joyful eyes speak volumes, “Lord
Thank you for bringing my baby home.”
See Sister America, knows this country she’s seen
The best and the worst
Wondering if she could have done better, being a
Black mother in a land that seemed cursed.
Miss Ruth is her true name, but a pastor
Renamed her Sister America, because she hopes and dreams
God blessed this woman that’s small of stature
With a love that fills rooms, radiating beams.
We see this drama unfold, a love story expressed
All across this land
What the blind fail to see, beyond her color, is the
Hope and love in her hands.
She cries for her children, she has prayed
Them into today, this is one of a millions mothers we’ve left behind
If Sister America told her story, this epic drama
Would unfold truths that bind.
Yes, I’ve met Sister America and
She put those small strong arms around me
Then with a soft whisper said the Lord, “In this
Kind of love, your America can be set free.”
Happy birthday, Ruth Hadley