Four little girls in ribbons, bright and new,
A Sunday morning holding quiet breath.
The church bells rang — the sky was bright and blue.
They dressed for choir like children always do,
Unknowing of the hand that plotted death.
Four little girls in ribbons, bright and new.
The city moved as ordinary grew,
While hatred worked its cold and hidden path.
The church bells rang — the sky was bright and blue.
Now history keeps what witnesses once knew,
Names carried forward, stronger still than death.
Four little girls in ribbons, bright and new.
The broken glass remembers what is true,
The silence louder than the aftermath.
The church bells rang — the sky was bright and blue.
So we repeat their names and promise through
The long, unfinished work that outlives death:
Four little girls in ribbons, bright and new,
The church bells rang — the sky was bright and blue.
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Author:
Matthew R. Callies (
Offline) - Published: March 3rd, 2026 01:32
- Comment from author about the poem: This poem is about the 1997 documentary 4 Little Girls, which tells the story of the murder of four African-American girls (Addie Mae Collins, Carol Denise McNair, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Rosamond Robertson) in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama on September 15, 1963.
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 9
- Users favorite of this poem: Tristan Robert Lange
- In collections: Cinephile's Checklist.
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Comments3
I know nothing of the film or indeed the murder. Nevertheless your poem is a beautifully structured tribute.
Man's hatred so reified that it raises above love, religion, law to rain death on the innocent. A powerful poem of sad history and a commentary on man's lack of social progress.
Matthew, this is a quiet memorial. The villanelle form mirrors remembrance…names carried forward, bells still ringing. By the time we return to “The church bells rang...the sky was bright and blue” it feels both haunting and defiant. The bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church shook the nation and helped galvanize the Civil Rights movement under leaders like Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. History does not forget. And neither should we. An important piece, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
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