“Riots” by Jack Kimball

We salute you, proud soldiers of liberty!
Rise once more to freedom’s promise.
Gather you tired sons and daughters,
whose blood was sold in slavery,
and loudly protest, as we’ve not been honest
with your huddled yearnings to be free.

Yes, call for bended knee by city’s finest
and wield your rhymes of misery.
The truth be known the fault is on us,
with proof by history.
We needed more than words in silence
to carve dreams as remedy.

But please, please, don’t be like us!
You can teach the blind to see.
Show us love is never violence
if we’re ever to agree.
In both our hearts we know what’s not us
and can change the world to be.