Problem

Problem


I am having a slight problem, you see
With the current fake reality
Tokenism with a lot of fiction/history?
In a colorized transracial context
We are told to see
Past old mistakes
And ignore the wrongs
But as the chance for a higher consciousness
Becomes viable
Collectively this country shies away from
The chance to be more…reliable?
It is not by accident that we are in a state of flux…
The powers that be use the rest of us
Like living batteries we fuel the top 1%
Our lives lived but not well or fully spent
And the winds of discontent
Blow violently in the face of disrespect
In a land that lays claim to the home of the brave
When its foundation was built on the backs of slaves
People removed from their birthplace
Who lost names and humanity and family
And asked to serve humbly
No longer masters of their own fate
For centuries
That still drip into the cracks of uprisings
So, I am having a slight problem, you see
With the current fake reality
From Paris to New York and beyond
The sparks of revolution are igniting again
Because that is what this country was founded on
Revolution is the raison d’etre
Taking from others was the gateway
That remains open to this day
We are the best at war
But won’t fight for the poor
Or our elders who fought the hardest wars
Or the proud people who were here before
Who communed with nature and knew the terrain
Given reservations to anesthetize their pain
Yet this country demands respect
When it hasn’t earned it yet
A bully with a heart of gold
At least that is the how the story is told
Because reality has been PhotoShopped
Outsourced to the lofty few who deem what IS
For me and you
So, I am having a slight problem, you see
With the current version of reality
technology is a frenemy that leveled the field
So more information (thanks Snowden) is being revealed
The darkest parts of our country’s history should be repealed
And the lies of the past unsealed
For the cause of liberty
Tell them of the atrocities
From slavery, racism and police brutality
Keep it 100 with stories no one wants to hear
The wrongs made when the mirror of history is unclear

So, I am having a problem, you see
With the current fake reality
I think George Carlin said it eloquently:
“It’s called the American Dream,
Because you have to be asleep
To believe it”
So you can work forever and never achieve”it”
The promise of pie in the sky in flames
In that lofty top one space…
Rise up 99 times and feel ashamed
It is the powers not the people
Who hold the blame
If you wanna save face
Use your power to transform the game
Like Michael J. used to say “Make that change”
Help the less have more
Trickle down is obsolete
So build up from the floor
Use your resources to elevate this country
Leave your entitlements at the door
And go back to the time
when neighbor meant friend
because at the end of the day--
It’s simply about those you help in the end…


If I can do my duty, as a good man ought,
If I can bring back beauty, to a world up wrought,
If I can spread love's message, as the Master taught,
Then my living shall not be in vain. Mahalia Jackson