The American Dream

I was awoken this morning through the morning light

Todays the day I can feel it in my bones

The 14^th amendment didn’t work I know

But the 15^th will I must have hope

Hope,

What a strange word for last four years

Four years

Has it only been four years that we’ve been fighting

It seems so much longer

The scalawags have been here for not too long

Or at least that’s what they call them

I call them hope

You seem I am a black man

I have a family

We can now vote

We are no longer getting whipped

We are free

That’s all that matters to me

I know we don’t own our own land

And many foke don’t treat us right

But were free and we have our man in office

Mr. Ulysses S. Grant he will make us proud.

I believe in him

I have to

He’s all we have

Our hope is all us black foke have

I don’t know how to do much

I’ve been a slave all my life but I do know how to do one thing

And that is hope

So pray with me brothers and sisters a like

Tonight the black man is free

Tomorrow a woman will be free

Soon we will be equal

Because that is the American dream.