America
sings
written September 26th 2004
an army marches toward me now
hungry to destroy
it seeks to devour ideas this army
it wants to eat reason like a tide of locusts
on a field of ripe wheat
nothing of the truth
is to stand in its ravenous way, and
at its head, is a man, who
in his vanity and ambition
believes his own righteousness,
a terrible hubris that cannot but try to
kill: reason, truth, and ideas
so falseness is pasted everywhere, for
no lie is too much for this army
no truth too precious not to be murdered
its just politics, says the chief apologist
we are right to assert our beliefs
say the masses following blindly
truth is not relevant, says the watching
media, we should know, we have had no use
for the truth for years
so the army marches towards me,
a hideous mouth filled with teeth
and the blood of children
who and what am I,
that I might, or might not, fear this army?
who could possible be afraid
of that which tries to eat ideas,
to devour reason,
to bury truth
are ideas and reason not real, but rather
just vain dreams, and wishes, something
that should fall before beliefs?
Should not those who wish, get
to assert their opinions over truth,
if it suits their purposes?
who is concerned about what an idea feels,
or what the truth cares about anyway.
these are just passing fancies,
while beliefs are holy and sacred.
Or so some say, who don't bother
to think at all.
I will tell you now
my most secret name,
for I am an idea
and only that
America is my name,
and I am more real than
this army or its vain
head can imagine
I am more powerful too.
Why?
Because I cannot be killed, tho'
armies rush and gnash their teeth
I am immune to violence, and
not only that, to seek my
death is to grant me even
greater life.
To push me down is to raise me up
to hide me is to expose me
to lie about me is to unveil me
for I am everything the lie is not
everything the hate is not
everything the unreasoning is not
so, if you want to know me
then just listen to the politicians
and think of that they do not say
for there I am, hidden in plain
sight, just beyond the limits of
the lie, for not only can I not
be killed, not only am I inviolate,
I am immortal
I am spirit, I am divine
for true ideas live outside
of time, and space
and the vain posturing
of politicians
I am America,
and these dark ones
cannot have their way with me.
Do you have the courage to face me
do you have the courage to face the truth
do you have the courage to look at reason
square in the face and test your beliefs
against my being and nature?
Listen then, if you dare,
listen to the truth,
to pure reason
and see if all your
politics has even one ounce of
reality
America is not any
political party
neither the Democrats,
or the Republicans
or the Greens
nor do any of the ambitious ones
running for president
own me, or even know me
Many take my name in vain,
America this and America that
but each such statement is a lie
meant only to serve the speakers
vanity
America, I am, but I
am not a sitting government
or a Nation or even
a People
Although any can, if they
would, pledge their allegiance
to my reality
I am not a war on terror
or a war in Iraq
although I can be a soldier dying
I am not an arms manufacturing business
or a pharmaceutical company
although I can be the one who
cleans the toilets there
I have no need for wealth
or for power
I have no need to announce
my presence, for when I
am truly there, anyone with eyes
will see me
I am invisible to that which
is not like me
and visible to all who know
me in their hearts
I am not patriotic,
although any true patriot will love me
You see me first as a dream
a dream of freedom from oppression
a dream of fair pay for reasonable work
a dream of quiet streets where children
play
I live in the imagination of people
everywhere, who know that their
dignity and their humanity
is ignored in that dark place
where they are yet forced to live.
I even live in the land that is
named after me, although
still more in dreams
than in the realm of social justice
That land, named after me
has forgotten me more than any
other place now.
Covered me over, buried me
in a coffin of lies,
yet, even tho' buried
I am everywhere yearned for
So strongly that I am kept alive
outside the continent on which I first
touched earth,
but in that land, even I would
be glad to call home,
the politicians seek my death
while the wealthy fight over
my spoils
Do you seek the good?
Then you seek me.
Do you run from hate?
Then you run to me.
Do you know your
brothers and sisters all over the world
then you know me.
Do you worry now,
do you cry inside
fearful of the dark ones
who seek to rule?
Then come to me,
and lean on me,
for there is no burden I
cannot bear that you can feel
You need not believe in me
by the way,
for I am your own heart
set free
and when you dance and sing
and share and love
and seek peace, not war,
I am there with you
and in you.
Are you angry against
the dark ones?
Do you wish their defeat,
their end,
their demise?
Please no, for by such thoughts
you separate yourself from me
I mean no harm
and need to defeat no one.
Yes, the dark ones, and their
masses of unreasoning believers
spread all the worst of lies
but think how they are driven
not by reason
but by fear.
It is fear from which
they need release.
And while they thrash about
in fear, and push and shove
the piles of lies that seek
to hide me,
you fear not, for even though
ages pass, I still will come to all
and while many are too filled with
fear, too filled with hate
too filled with belief at the
expense of reason
you need not fall into their
dark dreams
Do not let them drag you down
into their lost land,
but kept your own council,
keep your own ideas,
keep me near your heart,
and seek those like yourself.
Where you have the company of
like minded, there I live,
and you will have me, whatever
the fear mongers claim or insist
the true,
the good,
the beautiful
are such a light that no dark
can hide or cover over
Be what is in your heart,
and in any circumstance
then I will live in you
You are my true home,
the only place an idea
can really live.
Invite me in,
I have been waiting for you
for a very long time.