"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