Performed by Val Cole

Poem:

Where other countries went from laughing at us, to serious concern
Wondering how many bridges we’ve got left to burn
For the sake of ONE religion and ONE book
but hey, weren’t prayers good enough for Sandy hook?

I live in America
The land of the free
Unless you’re different
Unless you’re someone like me

There’s plenty like me
Several go undetected
Because America doesn’t like different
It’s too “unexpected”

I live in America
if you’re black or POC
you have to work 10 times harder
Just to be seen
Assuming you aren’t killed
Just because you were seen

Being seen doesn’t mean you’re understood
I wish it did,
I wish to hell it would

I live in America
Where gay people are killed
By straight white men
Who get off on the thrill

They use the “panic defense” and are acquitted
Not a surprise, it’s almost predicted

“It’s a sin, god said so”
Clinging to a book written thirty five hundred years ago

I live in America
Where children are starving
And then they start carving
Marks on their arms

They are abused and neglected
Lost and unprotected
But in the end blamed for their outcome.

Veterans are dying
And we put up a flag
To show we are trying!
Yeah that’s not so bad!
We can post about them on Veterans Day
And pretend like their deaths were a Heavenly way

When in reality
The country they fought for has let them down
Made them jump through hoops
And they didn’t know how
So in the end they suffer, and it’s all so sad
But it’s god will, you can’t get mad!
It’s not like agent orange was on purpose!
Oh, but thank you for your service.

It could be better
It could be worse
I’m just telling you how it is now
Before I too, end up in a hearse.

If I died tomorrow I couldn’t afford it
But hey I’m poor, so naturally I’m unfit
Slap up a gofundme, send some prayers
Tell my husband & my kids how much you care

I live in America.

Will I wake up one day and regret sending my kids to school ?
Will I be the next mother sobbing on the news?

I live in America
Where protests make you targets
Like the ones protesting to begin with
Haven’t had enough hardships

Where if you don’t have enough money,
Every regret
lives in debt

You can break your back and do as you should
Play yourself thinking it matters, I wish it would.

I live in America
The land of the free
I’m just wondering
What the HELL happened to diversity?

I live in America
Where you’re punished, not rehabilitated
Where human rights are outdated
And human lives are debilitated
Where they tell me if my child is raped
It’s a child she has to bare, it was no mistake

I live in America
Where health care is inaccessible to those who need it most
Meanwhile our legislators
Are cheersing & making toasts

I live in America
The land of the free
The place I was born
Where it’s not safe be me