FREEDOM

"FREEDOM'S JUST ANOTHER WORD

FOR NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE."

THOSE ARE WORDS IN A SONG

THAT ONE DAY I HEARD.

BUT FREEDOM IS SO MUCH MORE,

IT IS THE LIBERTY TO CHOOSE NOT

TO BE CONFINED, BUT TO EXPLORE

AUTONOMY, FREE TO BE, OR NOT

TO BE INDEPENDENT OF OTHERS,

A LICENSE TO SAY WHAT ONE TRULY THINKS,

AND A FREEDOM FOR OUR BROTHERS

TO BE THE SAME, REGARDLESS OF THE LINKS

BETWEEN CONTROL AND TOTAL CONTROL,

BETWEEN FREEDOM AND FREE FROM

LETTING OTHERS MAKE YOU CONFORM

TO THEIR THOUGHTS, AND THEIR GLOW

OF LIGHT THAT IS COVERED BY A BUSHEL

OF POLITICAL MORASS,

THEIR LIGHT IS HINDERED BY THEMSELVES

AND THEIR SEEMING, TOTAL LACK

OF TOLERANCE OF OTHERS TO DISAGREE

WITH THEIR POSTULATIONS, AND THEIR SMOKE

OF ARGUMENTS HARDLY EVER SETTLED,

FOR THEY LOVE TO HEAR THEMSELVES BREATHE

OUT THEIR DISLIKES AND THEIR HATES

OF THE POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS RIGHT.

THEY TOLERATE NO DEBATES

OF FREEDOM, AND OTHERS' RIGHTS.

FREEDOM IS TO BE TOTALLY FREE, FREE

TO CHOOSE WHAT ONE SHALL BE,

FREE TO CHOOSE WHAT ONE SHALL THINK,

FREE TO CHOOSE UPON WHAT BRINK

OF HISTORY WE SHALL STAND.

THE BRINK OF FREEDOM IN THIS LAND,

OR DROWN THE LIBERTY TO BE FREE

BY MAKING YOU AND MAKING ME

BE AND DO WHAT WE DON'T DESIRE,

TO BE SUNKEN IN THE MIRE

OF A DECLINING NATION FROM WITHIN,

THIS, MY FRIEND, WE CANNOT LET BEGIN

WITH EACH OF US PERSONALLY TO DECIDE

WHETHER THIS NATION LIVES OR DIES,

WHETHER WE LET OUR FREEDOMS ERODE

FROM WITHIN, OR DO WE EXPOSE

THE TOTAL FALSITY OF THESE RULES

THAT TRY TO MAKE US CONFORM TO FOOLS'

DESIRES, TO THEIR HATES AND BELIEFS?

OH, DEAR GOD, KEEP US FROM SUCH GRIEF.

© 1997 Tulsabutterfly
All Rights Reserved