If I am to add my voice
to the chorus, I will
but only if I am allowed
the freedom to speak as I will
of my life — the freedom
to describe kissing gnats
in the night, wondering
what brought them out;
the freedom to shout down
fierce opposition to our moves
as we move; the freedom
to win, to fail, to strive to reach
an imagined goal and then to see
how far off it truly was all along.

If I am to sing along, let me
burst forth in a rebel’s melody
knowing deep down that
I am alone in singing it,
with the rest of the room
looking around in bewilderment
at my lusty voice.

If I am
still singing at the end of days
let me sing louder and louder
until I choke and die and am
trampled, trodden down;
it will be no different then
than it is now, but knowing
how things change with each
revolution, I will
at the very least have acted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
onward,
T