In Perspective - The Riot Before

Far away across an ocean in a distant foreign land

A face is falling off from poison on an every aging man

And in the cracks and creases of the flesh a light goes out a constitution dies

By a fire in a forest a soldier sits holding a gun

In a village a young mother cries while looking at her son

Because while he sleeps and dreams so peacefully outside the enemy has arrived

And on the side of a bomb falling

Is my name penned to read left from right

In the street there is barbed wire from an unjust occupation

In the air a rocket’s fired and it feeds the desperation

Of a people pushed so far against the wall there is no escape to see

In a city’s crowded market an explosion brings despair

The people pack the streets holding high fists and coffins in the air

The reporter calmly calls one terrorist the former thought out strategy

And on that day in another season

A starving child forever closes his brown eyes

Here I sit with stomach full there’s peace and quiet on my street

In my closet there are clothes I have shoes tied onto my feet

I’m embarrassed by my sadness all because my hand’s empty

This is my cry throughout the world this is my apology

So I offer up my hand in all its barren readiness

And I offer up my voice and its origins in my chest

Help me give all that I can in spite of my unwillingness

Push me forwards toward compassion and away from selfishness