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Remembering David Cline (poem)

By Woody Powell

"That's no good. This is what I think."
.. and a strategy would appear
tailored perfectly, fitting the problem
grounded solidly
in the years-deep experience
of this remarkable man
who refused ever
to accept an injustice
-- or a half-baked idea
of how to confront it.

"That's no good. This is what I think."
.. words that could have raised my hackles
if I hadn't respected
the thoughtful objectivity
that characterized perfectly,
the man, David Cline;
if I hadn't respected
the humanity borne of suffering shared
driving him to labor
in this difficult vineyard
where the most abundant crop is weariness.

David listened, watched closely,
wary of bullshit,
challenging us all to think,
to really know our minds
before forging a message or
designing an action.

"Yeah. That'll work." Or "Good idea."
.. and the clouds of doubt would part,
actions would form
our struggles would elevate
to new heights of significance.

David lead the unleadable;
the authority-phobes,
the misfits, if you will,
unwilling to buy lies
or empty promises of glory
and gain.

He led us well,
with heart, with humor,
with wit and wisdom
and, most of all, with a keen awareness
of the faults we all live to overcome.

Thank you, David Cline.