Deliver Me, Deliver Us
I have found my voice
at humanity’s eleventh hour
I have found my voice because
I called upon humanity’s wisdom
and asked if I can help to deliver
to you
some units of joy
and lessons of love
so I ask you to hear humanity's inevitable lovesong
ancient
humble
soothing
And deliver me
deliver us
deliver me
on the days Jefferson spoke of inalienable rights
deliver us into that night of human liberation
when czars were overthrown and utopia envisioned
deliver me on the day Martin had his dream
deliver us on the day Paris’ commune became community
deliver me
deliver us
I say deliver me
And deliver us
Because without the us
there is no me
And without the me
There is no us
humanity’s struggle
constant argument between
Me
And
Us
The me and the us
Were at
Lexington Concord
Gettysburg
St. Petersburg
Stalingrad
Omaha beach
Paris, Prague, and Mexico in 1968
Tianenmen Square in 1989
And Occupy Wall Street
The me and the us
Are at kitchen table
Deciding whose childhood is spared
The me and the us are at
Parliaments all over the world
Deciding whose life is worthwhile
The me and the us are at the UN
Deciding which nations are worthwhile
The me and the us
History has been about the me and the us
History’s first experiment in liberation
Stalin and world interrupted, still insisting on the me
so I ask you, humanity
I implore you
In the name of so many terrified faces
In the name of so many torture chamber places
I ask you here and now
At humanity’s eleventh hour
brink of armaggedon's world war
to
Deliver me
And deliver us
Deliver us from humanity's dark night
let the children and future generations breathe
freedom's air
Deliver me
Deliver us
Deliver me
Deliver us.
Copyright © John Goodman | Year Posted 2012
Post Comments
Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.
Please
Login
to post a comment