These 100 Years

These 100 years past have seen unbelievable greatness,
But all people swish around in their mouths is bitterness.
Unaware of the magic they’re a part of,
Always focused on the next shoulder to shove. 

There are two sides to the story of time,
One which is stagnant and vile, one that is progressive and sublime. 
It comes down to which side you’re focused on,
And remembering in the big scheme of a day, we are only but a dawn. 

In these 100 years, there have been things worth singing about.
From these grateful songs, new hope is able to sprout. 

In these 100 years, humans left their footsteps on the moon,

In these 100 years, George Bailey made Mary swoon.

In these 100 years, Yoko loved John,

In these 100 years, Freddie turned Bohemian Rhapsody into the ultimate windows-down song.

In these 100 years, people drove around in yellow beetles,

In these 100 years, we’ve moved the freedom needle.

In these 100 years, a president took the podium and his skin color was not white,

In these 100 years, we were advised that darkness can’t get rid of darkness, only the light.

In these 100 years, women found their voices and linked arms in power,

In these 100 years, we were enlightened to Why the Caged Bird Sings in it’s darkest hours.

In these 100 years, we welcomed television into the hearts of our homes,

In these 100 years, National Parks opened their treed doors for humans to roam.

In these 100 years, aviation became mainstream and the world showed itself in the palm of our hands,

In these 100 years, a Dr. by the name of Suess reminded us, “Oh yes you can.”

On the other side of these 100 years,
Jackie wore her pink suit,
On September 11th, 3 planes unexpectedly changed their route,
A strong wind blew in and turned agriculture into dust,
And the world cried losing Diana on a night in August.

There is an evil thread wrapped around immense sadness in every turn in history,
How the human heart carries on is a mystery.

We cannot erase the scars of our time,
But we can focus on red, white, and blue’s brave climb.

We cannot continue to grow if there is no gratitude at our core,
I fear we’ve degraded ourselves into people taking tallies and keeping score.

That love your shouting about? It needs to extend through your fingertips.
That tongue of yours needs to not slip.
That heart of yours needs to beat in unison with all of your sisters and brothers,
We cannot leave this to someone else or the other.

So, I’ll carry on with a grateful heart,
Carrying the legacy of freedom and equality that has been spoken from the very start.
I will wrap my warm arms around this nation,
My everyday life serving as my station.

There are two sides to every coin.
I hope you will realize with me and join.

Join in singing the praises of the humans who have always spoken of love first,
Join in not fighting against something, but fighting for something to quench humanity’s thirst.

Everything needed for the light to outshine the dark has already been provided,
It resides in open eyes and willing hearts to be guided.

There are two sides to every picture,
What kind of world are you painting here?