[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 65 (Tuesday, May 11, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E806]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN HONOR AND REMEMBRANCE OF DANIEL THOMPSON, POET LAUREATE OF CUYAHOGA 
                                 COUNTY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 11, 2004

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and remembrance of 
Daniel Thompson, Poet Laureate of Cuyahoga County, OH. Daniel Thompson 
passed away last week after a 2-year battle with cancer. Through his 
words as a poet and his deeds as a tireless advocate for the homeless, 
the hungry, and people on the streets, Daniel Thompson set an example 
for his community.
  Daniel's public readings were held as often in jazz clubs, junkyards, 
and jailhouses as they were in bookstores, cafes, and other ordinary 
venues. His poetry, often humorous and playful, conveyed messages about 
our times and inspired our thoughts and actions. He was a frequent 
contributor to the ``Homeless Grapevine, ``Cleveland's monthly street 
newspaper sold by homeless vendors. His poem, ``A New Beautitude,'' was 
published in the March-April 2004 issue of the Grapevine:

     Walking to starlight
     In a dark season:
     I hear a new beatitude, America
     Listen
     Blessed are the homeless
     For they shall inherit the street
     The sidewalks, the bushes
     The cold, cold ground
     Whatever falls from heaven
     Pennies of rain, of snow
     Any spare change of weather
     Day-old manna
     The donut and the hole
     The donut, the hole in the sock
     In the sole of the shoe
     And in the cold, cold ground
     And O I almost forgot, America
     This, too, from you
     The cold eye of the stranger . . .

  But it was not just Daniel's words, but also his deeds that will be 
missed. He frequently brought food and water to Cleveland's homeless 
and he petitioned city and county officials to install public drinking 
fountains for people living on the streets. He marched with Martin 
Luther King in Chicago and as a freedom rider in the deep south in the 
early 1960s where he was targeted by an angry mob in North Carolina in 
1961.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in honor and remembrance of Daniel 
Thompson. Like other poets hailing from Cleveland such as Langston 
Hughes, Hart Crane, and d.a. levy, Daniel has a place in our 
community's literary history. And as a citizen, Daniel Thompson will 
long be remembered for his advocacy, sympathy, and soul. But his 
presence on Cleveland's streets will be sorely missed.

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