Skip to main content

The 4th is a Lie

















They say today is a holiday
They call it the Fourth of July
But as the U.S. celebrates it's independence
I refuse to buy in to the lie

How can you call this the "land of the free"
And proclaim it "the home of the brave"
All the while being hypocritical
By making the African your slave

You talk about freedom and liberty
And God-given unalienable rights
But in order to claim what the Creator had given
My people had to march, boycott, and fight

I once pledged allegiance to the American flag
And to the republic for which it stands
But no longer do I salute the red, white and blue
Because my Ancestors' blood are on American hands

I no longer join in "The Star Spangled Banner"
I'd rather "Lift Every Voice And Sing"
And the only monument I visit when in DC
Is that of Dr. Martin Luther, The King

Yes, it's true that I was born in this land
But the U.S. will never be my home
'Cause my heart and my soul are fully African
The Motherland runs deep in my bones

So spare me the hot dogs and hamburgers, too
Cancel the fireworks up in the night sky
Replace red, white and blue, with Red, Black and Green
And let's put an end to this American lie

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The fight of my life!

Since I've been back home in Portsmouth I've been taking time to just relax and get back to being at peace with my life. I've been able to see old friends, hang out, eat well, and fill my days with lots of laughter, which is good for the soul I know. I've been able to visit familiar places and have been greeted my familiar loving faces as well. It's truly been a blessing that I've been able to take a break and come home to hit the reset button in my life, and even more blessed that I have a husband who supports me in that, even if he (like me) misses being together each and every day. Well, there are two issues that I know I have to face head on, and I have not gotten any more at ease about dealing with them since I've been home than I was when I was living in Richmond. I've been HIV positive since 2005, and most of the past 10 years have gone by without complication or incident. I've been on a medication regimen of one pill a day, and more recentl...

A Weekend Renewal

Shalom House, Montpelier, VA This weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a "Transformation Retreat." It was a weekend getaway for persons infected with HIV, and part of a series of other retreats and programs by The Renewal Projects, an organization in Richmond, VA. The experience was amazing, unforgettable, life-changing, and any other word you could think of to describe a simply beautiful weekend. We didn't have a large group, which at first seemed to be a bit of a bummer. But, it turned out to be the thing that made the experience that much better for myself, and I hope for the rest of the people who attended. My room during the retreat There were no televisions or radios. Our rooms were simple. The only lights outside were those lining the sidewalk from the two cabins we stayed in down to the "Shalom House" where we had our group meetings and activities, as well as our meals. The food was great, too! We practiced meditation a...

Does the world want me to be fake?

I know I have my own set of problems and issues.  I've come to the point where I can admit that to myself or others who inquire about them.  But, where I still find myself stuck is when folk expect me to be "positive" or to have some type of "confidence" in my future.  How can I be positive when I feel like shit?  But, I guess that's just how we do things in America, we fake it until we make it.  But, if I'm being fake as hell and really not expressing anything, who does that help?  Not me. I've been a failure my entire life.  I've never done anything right.  Either I've taken too long finishing college, or I haven't had the right amount of patience and tolerance with a job that others felt I should have stuck with.  Time and time again I simply see myself in a bad light and I really don't know how to begin to change it or even if it can be changed. I've been told that I'm too hard on myself.  I can understand what people ...