Commissioned Poems for Rock Hill, SC
written by Rock Hill Poet Laureate
Carlo L'Chelle Dawson
As the City of Rock Hill Poet Laureate, I have the honor of writing and performing commissioned poems for official city of Rock Hill, SC, functions and activities. Contact Rock Hill Poet Laureate Committee Board Chairperson Blaine Scovill Parish at bpscovil@gmail.com to request an original official city of Rock Hill commissioned poem. Below are a few Rock Hill commissioned poem, excerpts, and performances during my tenure.
144 Remembered: Preserving the Resting Place of Rock Hill, SC’s 144 Enslaved Souls
April 2025
Excerpt
Take me to the water,
Take me to the water
Take me to the water
to be baptized.
Take me to the water
like bended knees
baptized in the River Jordan
washed in the River Catawba,
immersed beneath ethereal clouds,
I knelt, bowed down,
and kissed Mother Earth
planted as firm as cypress trees
in the land beneath our feet
roots
connected, intertwined
144
Some say we were unnamed,
unmarked by time
yet, we have always been here
as songs caught in the whispers of the breeze
as stories reflected in mighty waters and quiet streams
wrapped in the sun’s embrace
cheering you on
One Water
October 2026
Lament for Karson
October 2025
Beloved
November 2025
“Always On”
January 2026
by Rock Hill Poet Laureate Carlo L'Chelle Dawson & Youth Poet Laureate Kh'Mani Gilliam
Under a broken moon among
blood-stained stars and a cracked sun
within our dark abyss
I wonder
Through a barrage of bullied phrases hurled among us each day
Who is coming to save us from ourselves?
Under the hand of divided lines, like dams within our waterways,
found in the idea of superiority, a bordered tower that hides another away,
Who is coming to save us from ourselves?
Where some folks live in fancy homes in gated communities, in comfort and care like cotton-soft walls.
and some live outside of those walls, unguarded and discarded like trash, thrown into the streets built by neglection and rejection
In these United States of America, the land of the free, the home of brave,
Separated by walls of
rich
the left
gay
inclusion
war
black
and everything
poor
the right
straight
exclusion
peace
white
and everyone
in between
Who is coming to save us from ourselves?
We
will no longer wait.
Let
For in Rock Hill, we have learned to build bridges through a complex tapestry of textiles and tenacity.
We
us
are the heroes we seek.
be a shining hill that guides us through the darkness.
In Rock Hill, we have learned to do more than dream dreams
We
knock down walls of injustice with our ancestors’ sit-ins, and freedom rides, building bridges of solidarity and unity
We
color the world with messages that will live for miles and miles.
In Rock Hill
We
carry the torch forward like a lighthouse floating in a reservoir, where humanity guides us to the brightest truth,
In Rock Hill, we courageously stand like the mighty Civitas, inspired and energized by the hands and feet of freedom fighters
Not hands separated by the disunion
but by greatness that stands true only through paired hands,
For, In Rock Hill, we carry out the creed of Dr. King
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
For, in Rock Hill
We
that ever burns, where the light is
always on.
carry a torch for justice
The Power of Poetry
Jorge Luis Borges
"Truly fine poetry must be read aloud. A good poem does not allow itself to be read in a low voice or silently. If we can read it silently, it is not a valid poem: a poem demands pronunciation."
