I Come From A Place

Written 4/3/2013

I come from a place

Where life, liberty,

and the pursuit of happiness

were promised to all.

 

As I grew, though, I

Learned very differently.

Our government kills, 

The liberty bell itself cracked

Every time it was sounded

And the pursuit of happiness

Is a fight you fight from within

A matrix of laws and rules

Designed by just a few

Applied broadly but

Often ignored by

The very same few.

 

I am SICK of the hypocrisy I see

But even more, I am sick of being told:

"This is just the way it is,

And the way it will always be."

 

What about the lives of those

Who were here before us?

The scalps our ancestors

our ancestors were paid to collect

 

What about the liberty 

Of shackled slaves

Chained to a boat and

Forced to row to a 

Destination unknown?

 

What about the happiness

Promised to folks like me

Who have come to realize

Our country is built on lies?

Reviews

[Tricia O'Brien]

"And the pursuit of happiness
Is a fight you fight from within"

Unreal, well done. Strong and solid. I read this a few times over. You're a powerful voice.
Keep doing your thing

Trish-

[icelandicblue]

One of the beauties of liberty is that we can question and change things. In fact it is our civic duty to question things. I think that you bring a lot of subjects to the forefront. I would say that our country is built more on apathy than lies. Through apathy the liars are allowed to continue their mendacious ways. You are in no way apathetic. Great political/social poem.

[R. L. Ives]

A matrix of laws and rules
Designed by just a few
Applied broadly but
Often ignored by
The very same few.

Very true words here. Our government is full of corrupt, criminal hypocrites. I find myself asking how is it that they can continue to do the things they do. We know its wrong. Do they? But of course they do, and they don't care who sees. It is a very arrogant D.C.

And the pursuit of happiness
Is a fight you fight from within

So in spite of whatever laws they throw at us, and they money they steal from us, they don't decide our happiness for us.