American Contradiction

We are the home of the braves.  The land of the free.
But America isn’t what it seems to be.
We are also way more fortunate than a third world country
But when we look around our people are hungry.
We are quick to find peace but yet we’re still at war.
We are so oblivious to what goes on around us but can tell what’s the super bowl score.
We are so busy telling them they’re wrong but we’re killing our selves.
Like a book shelf this American constant contradiction keeps adding on shelves.

We are promoting drugs to children and taking their lives
Our ghettoes are killing their dreams and taking their strives
We sometimes privilege the rich and punish the poor.
Then our public figures expose children to the illegal stuff leaving them w/o hope for more.
We show them alcohol but then restrict their age.
Then we beg them not to put the car in gage.
Then our government is quick to lock them up and throw away the key.
But then they want us to help them and be all that we can be.
The media only portrays the bad and rarely gives us the good.
If we can’t take ourselves seriously then who else should.
If together we stand and divided we fall.
That’s why we hunch our back and never stand tall.

If we’re big brother then what happened to our mom and dad.
Whose to tell us right from wrong and let us know that’s bad.
This country was birthed from fighting ourselves but we didn’t learn.
Its like our ship is sinking and we’re hanging on to the stern.
We try so hard to be everyone’s friend that we made an enemy.
Then we rub them the wrong way, but its really  bad chemistry.
It’s this constant back and forth or up and down.
It’s the outside happiness or the sunk in frown.
It’s this American contradiction that keeps us blind.
It’s the same contradiction that doesn’t want us to expand our mind.

Its like we’re confused but we don’t care to explain.
It’s like we act on impulse and don’t even try to refrain.
We are so helpful but yet helpless.
We don’t know where to move but this is our game of chess.
We blame one man for all our problems.
Then we turn around and expect him to solve em.
We forget what hard work is and education.
We so focused on the time and meditation.
We do one thing and say something different
We need to change this contradiction in an instant.
NIQUEL MCRAE

Copyright © | Year Posted 2010



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