Saturday, February 18, 2012

"Time"

I'm so happy over the progress made recently with advancing toward marriage equality in Washington and Maryland, but so angry over what just happened in New Jersey that I wrote this poem to express this unique feeling of excitement and anger:


Time

Do they know
How it feels

When a stranger can pull a lever
And cancel your wedding

What are they forgetting
When one man can veto your dreams
To further his career

When your hopes are so near
But rest on a popularity contest

Do they know the difference
Between their blind faith

And our deserved place
In a society that promised us humanity

Yet we settle for this insanity
Our rights to life
Liberty
The pursuit of happiness

Are passing us

Can’t they see through the stained glass
Of those houses that profit from spreading false fear

Can’t they hear
Our silent cries
The plight of our pride
The meaning inside

What kind of liberty is this
When they can deny our existence
Exclude us from chapter 14

And frame it a political scene
How can they be so selfish

The struggle may be different
Than in 1967 from those who were black
Of our mothers and grandmothers from 92 years back

But our dreams are the same

And all that stands between us

Is time

Because we have a voice
Because we have a say

They’ll tear us down again
But we won’t go away

One day they’ll look back
In history in shock
But that day will come sooner
The more we stand up and talk

So come my brothers
And sisters
Even further on out

Let’s get mad
Let’s get together
Let’s scream and let’s shout

Take your passion from every pride parade past
And live it and breathe it each day – to the max

I know we can do it
I know we’ll be fine

But let’s hurry because
It’s about time

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