A Different Psalm

Bush is NOT my shepherd
For I made a different decision
In the voting booth
I am an American
I have the right of dissent

I dwell in Ashland, in Jackson County, in Oregon,
Where I actively work each day
Plying that right
At the grass roots, in the local council seats, in the county commissions, in the state assembly
I prepareith, even now, in the face of my enemies,
For in my country we have a voice
In my country there is a choice
And 2008 will come

And so I fight
I fight every log that falls
I fight for education and the arts
I fight to stop AIDS, world hunger, violence against women
I fight for peace
I stay aware
I know what is going on
It isn’t easy, it is hard work,
I write to congressmen and senators. I write to newspapers. I give money. I walk when there is a protest.
My generation of American’s stopped an unjust war
We can save our trees
We can save our arts
We can save our educational system
We can wage peace and better our world
But not by sitting on our assets

Yea, though I walk through the valley of pollution and war,
I will try to change it
My children have never known anything but recycling and ecology
My town is prosperous, green and clean
I will actively work everyday toward change that will allow the rest of the world to someday be the same
I supportith the politicians who wage peace
Who value humanity, education and the arts
Who seek to save the earth
National, state and local
I seekith them out
I knowith their names
I lickith their envelopes and stuffith their mailings

I supportith my values at the font of their springs
For the arts, for education, for world hunger, for world peace, to stop violence against women and children
I volunteerith my time, I givith my money, I donate my work, I attendith their meetings, I sit upon their committees, eternally, do I lickith their envelopes, in perpetuity do I stuffith their mailings

I have more that is better and costs less
Than most of the world
I enjoy freedoms that to some are unimaginable
I will not bow my head beneath what is wrong
For the system under which I live
Gives me the right to fight

I raiseith up a generation of American’s who care
A large, gifted circle of young men and women to whom art is life, ecology a byword of existence and peace something they will never stop seeking
They are the future
Those children you are glad not to have will be theirs
They will never stop working and fighting to effect any change that will make the world more beautiful, safe and free for the children they will bring into it
They are discouraged, they are frightened, but
They are not whiners, takers or slackers
They are fighters
They are politically active and very aware
They do charity work
They volunteer
They send $10.00 to Oxfam and to ‘One’
Because $10.00 is all they have right now
They ply their professions with passion: one day they will have more than $10.00 to give, and they will still be giving; giving of their money, their time, their talents, their souls.
They will dwell in my heart forever

They are Americans
So am I
Proud does not mean arrogant
That is a stereotype
We will not wear
Around our wrists we do wear
A purple band:
“Never Surrender”
We are angry
We are not complacent
We are the minority
But we have been gifted
With the right
To effect change
And that,
We will
Never
Surrender


http://www.workingassets.com/
http://www.democrats.org/
http://www.heifer.org/
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/
http://www.one.org/
http://www.sierraclub.org/