"My First Born Lie"

 When my first breath did escape me,  and I became alive
 I started shouting to the world,  this nation had arrived
 This shout I wanted deathless,  but in my heart I knew
 The words that had given me,  were simple but untrue
 The words of my preamble,  began my first born lie
 For I knew that all my children,  could not eat of freedom's pie
 Because of this hypocrisy,  which stripped away my soul
 It made me weak with sorrow,  and never really whole
 You found that from this weakness, you could bind me to a post
 So I had no way to keep you from, the greed you sought the most
 Then you turned your back and ran with greed, off to the west
 Shouting its me that matters, to hell with all the rest
 Still somehow I found the strength, with tear strained voice to shout
 My children you are in the wrong, I beg you turn about
 But as you stood and stared at me,  through eyes so black and cold
 I knew right then that you were blinded, by your lust for land and gold
 When your rampage finally ended, across the western land
 You bent my words of freedoms trust, to wipe your bloody hand
 Which left the stones of hatred, to those once proud and free
 That even to this very day, they still throw these at me
 And so the hate against me, begins to multiply
 Which even harder makes fight, to resolve my first born lie
 There was one light upon this hole, that you alone had dug
 You finally freed my children, the ones I still can't hug
 When this long awaited fight for freedom, had finally begun
 Twas in the month of April, in the year of "61"
 Where on the twelfth day, at half past four
 Towards the fort known as Sumter,  the cannon balls tore
 When this battle ended, with not a single man dead
 Defying all logic, or so its been said
 This left no true vision, to what lay in store
 Which was a bloodless beginning, to our bloodiest war
 After four years of fighting, and a half million dead
 The shackles of slavery, finally was shed
 But this knew birth of freedom, could not end my first lie
 Because forced segregation, was this nation new cry
 Then when freedom from oppression, was the reason for
 Other nations children's flight, to this illustrious shore
 They sought my words of liberty, to begin their life anew
 A chance is all they ask of you, to sip of freedoms dew
 This sip of freedoms cup they sought, within this melting pot
 You held behind your back, and this you offered not
 This cup that they can never have, I know the reason why
 Unless this nation as a whole, forgives my first born lie
 Throughout this nation's history, you sent me off to war
 To bleed with my dear children, on some dark and foreign shore
 I've stood beside "Old Glory", since I was in my prime
 To defend its rights to liberty, until the end of time
 But sometimes you send my children, and never do ask me
 To the reasons that are given, I never will agree
 Even though I disagree, I still do know the why
 This thing you do is out of spite, for my first born lie
 With every wrong you do me, another word does bleed
 Until my words will have no blood, to shed for your misdeeds
 At times through life my children, you've ignored me until tears
 And the more that you ignore me, enhances my worst fears
 My fear is that socialism, is what your longing for
 Which may one day leave your freedoms, outside despotisms door
 Which leaves me with this question, will your heart then beat
 Or will you cry I'm sorry, to my body at your feet
 And as you turn to walk away, If you should faintly sigh
 I understand none of this, where did freedom fly
 Your choice of greed and prejudice, gave freedom little chance
 Or for me to lead you both, through the joys of lives big dance
 These words I say I've always known, just before I die
 That freedoms flight from here began, with my first born lie

                         -Rodney 

 

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