Stonewall

Harvey Milk taught us
Don't hide stand up with pride
Life is like the ocean
It ebbs and flows
But as long as were holding hands
The tide of opposition can't knock us down
For too long we've lived in fear
Billy club beatings
And the gloom of paddy wagons and jails
First beers cans been thrown
Theres no turning back now
'Christopher Street belong to the queers!'
Summer morning 1969 we finally fought back
"If a bullet enters my brain let it shatter every closet door"
Bless you Harvey Milk

Unaware Sleep

Awake, alert in my sleeping bag
Peaceful slumber eludes me
Retreats from my pleading body
And the winds angry bluster threatens
To send the rain sideways
Into my inadequate shelter
I stare up at a starless sky
Stars being shy in nature
Avoid city street lamps
Spotlights cast into the black night
I'm reminded of youth spent
Basking in country glory
Stars clustered so numerously
Heaven itself is unable
To contain them all
Watching them shooting down from the sky
As if fallen from heavens grace
I listen for sounds of comfort from childhood
An early stirring rooster confused of the hour
But hear only a freight train
Crisscrossing well traveled tracks
Blaring horn sounding its approach
Perhaps the sound of a vigilant coyote
Howling its victory in finding a meal
A rabbit unaware of the danger until it is to late
but hear only hevay traffic
Engines reving across the concrete bridge overhead
Or the sound of my mysterious cat
Padding through pasture grass
Hunting I know not what
]But the din of my friend racheting snores
Fills my ears instead
Sleeping the uanware sleep of drunks
My comfort is finally found
In the crooning lullabies of the moon
I at last join the land of idylic cheese dreams
Through train traffic snores
Awaking only when mornings first light
Assaults my face with its greeting

Oh America! America!

The only home I have ever known
Your anguish is my anguish
To see your fall from grace!
I am weeping the tears of a mother who wishes to hold her only dear child
but cannot for they are lost
and there is no comfort to be found
Oh America, America!
Such is my shame that I can no longer proudly hoist your flag to the top
of the mast and salute
Oh America, America!]
Where freedom is for a chosen few
and I must stand desolate among the second class citizens
clothed in sackcloth and ashes mourning
Oh America, my mother!
How I long to be held to your breast
and suckle freedoms sweet milk
but you do not want me
Prodigal America!
I bessech thee
Let me know you as a loving parent
Let me be able to shout thy once glorious name to the very heavens
When will I-WE be able to ufurl your banner again
and sing in the words of our fore beares
"My country tis of thee, sweet land of liberty"
Why have you turned your back on your own people?
What have we done to provoke youtr disfavor?
Please turn your face towards us
That we might know the comfort our our motherland
Let us be FREE from your crushing embrace!
Oh America, America!