Hope again

does your life have no meaning
you don’t have a choice
do you feel like screaming
but you don’t have a voice?
are you feeling angry
but you don’t want to hate
because giving in to hatred
is to capitulate?

can we free our minds
from the webs of deceit
rebuild the marketplace
reoccupy the street
liberate our language
from the spinners of lies
reclaim our privacy
from invisible eyes

let’s proclaim our innocence
maintain the rage
rekindle optimism
in this cynical age
raise up our voices
lift up our pens
rewrite our democracy
reclaim hope again

do you feel sucked dry
just an empty shell
no tears left to cry
no water in the well?
does the future seem bleak
no hope in sight
so many lost battles
it’s useless to fight?

let’s treasure our forests
our farmlands our reefs
stoke up our fire
rekindle our beliefs
this land is our mother
in her time of great need
being torn into pieces
by the vultures of greed

let’s repair the trust
young people once felt
that the game is not rigged
the hands fairly dealt
they are our children
they’re not our slaves
what use will your money be
in your grave?

let’s reclaim our birthrights
free women and men
stand at the barricade
take up the pen
raise up our voices
if not now when?
restore our democracy
reclaim hope again

do you feel like a pawn
in some in some evil game
people you didn’t vote for
doing such harm in your name?
stealing from the poor
bullying the weak
how long will we stay silent
when will we speak?

to heal our souls
there must be justice at last
we must take back the present
to reclaim the past
to retell our history
tears must be shed
for first peoples murdered
for the lies that were said

let’s reclaim the courage
to be generous to strangers
losing our compassion
is a far greater danger
those seeking refuge
are easy to blame
just more brutal oppression
done in our name

let’s reclaim our birthrights
free women and men
stand at the barricade
take up the pen
raise up our voices
if not now when?
restore our democracy
reclaim hope again

September 2014