They say 

You are like a dream

Free like the wind 

I would agree 

But that isn’t it

 

You will not tolerate the past

Nor open your eyes to the horrors 

Of these streets 

Of those cities 

Of this country

 

Refusing to see suffering 

Doesn’t mean it doesn’t pain you 

Refusing to believe 

Doesn’t mean you can’t hear the screaming

You are so young don’t make this mistake

You are so young please stop hurting 

 

You were born of bullets and blood

This soil built on bleeding 

Of the pain of the sick or needing 

You have to help everyone 

Or stay out of everything 

You can never be the hero 

Yet you’ll never stop trying 

Trying to keep away from being the villain

You’ve fallen to evil

 

 But god I love you

You are my home 

My heart

My past present and future 

And I will give blood sweat and tears

Just to change you

 

However 

My love isn’t magic 

And I need to stop pretending you are like 

Everyone else 

You are none of them

Not one of them is you

 

They talk about 

home of the free 

Land of the brave

God bless 

Your spacious skies 

Amber waves of grain 

Your purple mountain majesties

Your fruited plain 

But they forget 

Your ebony colored brothers

The ones you forced to confinement

And all the less fortunate 

You’ve crushed under your boots

And swept under the rug

 

The wondrous horrors you’ve endured

Mark nothing but pain 

Yet you celebrate the scars

 

Oh how I love you 

Red stripes 

And 

White stars

More than sea to shining sea

I beg of you 

Please

Just breathe