for most of my life, I haven't believed in democracy; that it functioned properly, that it actually existed in this country. I believed the choice that we had was between the lesser of two evils, whether it came to presidents, senators, ballot measures or laws.
I still believe the system needs to be radically altered. but I've also begun to believe in our collective power as voters, and I've even begun to truly believe in Barack Obama. of course he is not perfect, he is not better than every possible candidate, but I believe he will absolutely improve our country and our world more than any president perhaps ever has. he has a vision for a kind of beloved community. one that I can see and touch.
and maybe I am holding onto a semblance of hope in this tattered state of things, but I will continue to hold and to fight.
in the midst of weeks of voter registration, voter education, and other campaigns and work I am involved in, these past days have found me worried as hell, unable to sleep. insomnia helped me to write this in the deep morning of October 28th, 2008
"if you loved your country
you'd stand up"
"if you loved your country,
you'd stand up"
"if you loved your country,
you'd stand up"
my classmates told me when the pledge of allegiance
was again repeated
at another high school assembly
in my mostly white middle class high school
Home of the Eagles
and I didn't stand up
because I love my country
and I didn't stand up
because I love my country
and a pledge of allegiance just isn't worth much
when my country is at war
and a president not elected
sits on stacks of money
stained with the blood of all those
who died without health insurance
stained with those who couldn't afford to feed their kids
stained with our soldiers' blood
stained with the murders of hundreds of thousand of innocent Iraqis
stained with that number hundreds of thousands, yes still not reported
still not admitted
stained with lands and sky we've taken
stained with the blood of a dying planet
and the situation we've created
and I didn't stand up
because I love my country
I didn't stand up, and I didn't say a damn thing
but now I'm
singing loud from my heart strings,
pulsing with volume I didn't know I could turn up anymore
this country is wrecking, slowly, slowly, but faster than we seem to realize
hold on to the hope, hold onto the change
because who knows what the world will look like in seven days.
And I've begun to pray
I've begun to get down on my knees before I lay down to sleep
I've begun to put all of my beliefs on the table in any ways I know how.
And in ways,
I don't know how.
see we
are sparking
crackling
wires astray
struck down from powerlines
in the lightening and rain
we are whirling around in furious ways
each of us holds on to the hope, holds on to the change.
those pennies and nickels in our pockets
multiplied by billions
of inconceivable dollars
spent away for campaign ads
and clothing
for hairdressers
and consultants
for spin
and media advisors
for circuit boards to calculate
find the equation
which comes equal to some hope of salvation
and it is hard not to believe
that every other person
shares a piece of this grief
that every racial slur thrown
is a groan of sorrow
from a mislead soul
facing agonies
and finding their comfort in white supremacy
and it would be hard not to believe
in the heart within each
and it would be hard not to believe
that we can't point the blame there
but instead at the lies we must impeach
and what we must begin to teach
where is the love
ethic?
perhaps slain
as was formed the United States
perhaps demolished
with conquest, colonization, and war and rape
but it's not too late to change
it's not too little to stop saving face
"you would stand up,
if you loved your country"
"you would stand up,
if you loved your country"
I will take these words now
lay them in front of you
and put them down
and tell you that I believe
we can change this
I believe we can all go to bed
loved, sheltered, and fed
I believe that we can all work
in safe and fair conditions
that are kind to our earth
and earn wages that don't keep us holding on
but holding our employers accountable
holding our government responsible
they are to be afraid of us
they are to be there for us
I believe that one day
we won't have to worry
that a presidential candidate
could be assassinated because
they are a person of color
and one day we won't take from
or profess hate towards each other
I believe this can't happen overnight
it won't be easy
but we must stand up
if we love our country
we must stand up and look ourselves
look history right in the eye
we must stand up
because we love our country
we must stand up
for every voter
who will be disenfranchised
we must not let rich white men
steal our country again
we must unite
and we must rise
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democracy is the majority forcing its will on the minority...i dont even participate in democracy, i dont vote, yet the majority still forces their will on me...we individuals and minorities have no rights, because the majority denies them...and what is their favorite to say? "if you dont vote you cant complain"....can you believe the stupidity? justifying tyranny...this is your glorious democracy...its a mockery of freedom...may god punish all tyrants
longfootbuddy 9 months ago
Spoken like a typical, clueless liberal. People like this guy actually vote...amazing.
ihatecommunists1 1 year ago
OBAMA? America is NOT a democracy. IT IS A REPUBLIC, FOOL. Read your history. READ THE FOLLOWING BOOKS:
The Real George Washington (Jay A. Parry)
The Real Benjamin Franklin (Andrew M. Allison)
The Real Thomas Jefferson (Andrew M. Allison)
Anyone who backs Obama DOESN'T KNOW THE TRUTH. Once you do, then God will bless you. Obama is a liar and evil. He WANTS to destroy this country because he hates white America. You will go down with it, fool.
tomsinclairjr 1 year ago
u r gay
bonesawthegreat 2 years ago
you are amazing. thanks for being a part of this world. you bring so much to it!
<3
honeynvrhadaname 3 years ago
i love you. thank you for this.
repgurl 3 years ago
That hit me in all the right ways. Nice job.
JennDer605 3 years ago
your words penetrated my soul for a few minutes there, bro. you have such a firm, powerful voice in your poetry. well done!
"that every racial slur thrown
is a groan of sorrow
from a mislead soul
facing agonies
and finding their comfort in white supremacy"
some of this is especially brilliant.
lots of peace.
treehuggingtranny 3 years ago
wow.
nahakala 3 years ago