A joyous host assembled there
Before the solemn,
solemnities of Roman Columns
Our national life on display
Lives, marriages, to be
judged by the 9
Judged, worthy
Judged normal
Part of the fabric of America
One of the stars on that
flag.
They sang
Oh say can you see by the dawns early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last
gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous
fight,
O’re the ramparts were watched, were so gallantly
streaming?
They sang themselves
Into our national life
Oh say does that
star-spangled banner yet wave?
O’re the land of the free, the home of the brave.
They sang us step-by-step forward through
Jiggery-Pokery and Real Apple
Sauce and other word salad by Scalia
And decades of
Mean spirited ballot measures
Through
Matthew Shepherd and Stonewall
Through
Harvey Milk and closet doors
They patiently sang us
through step by step to their humanity and citizenship rights
They gave proof to the night
that our flag was still there.
Yet the joy was mixed with gentle sadness
Aware of other flags
Stars and bars
Aware of the real and
experienced limits of Equality
Aware of the persistence of
hate.
Be ready for the
backlash!
Love wins,
But
hate does a meeeeaaaan second place.
Aware of those 9
9 bible study attendees, 6
women, 3 men—some sort of mirror to the Supreme Court.
Still mourning those 9
Remembering the police lights blue and red glare
Shots fired in there
In their sanctuary
Does the star-spangled banner yet wave?
O’re the land of the free and the home of the brave?
O’re a land chained to our
past
A land laden by
White supremacy,
Selective blindness,
Cherry picked memories.
To this, Reverend President,
Had Church today.
Went all in today.
The President of the United States of America talked
about Grace.
The President of the United States of America Sang about Grace.
Sang us through
Through the death dealing
whitecaps
Of our national life.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch
like me
He sang
I once was lost, but now I’m found, was blind but now I
see
May it be so Dear LORD
May it be
Be that blindness and amnesia
The roughshod-four-wheel-drive-snow-tire-triple-diamond-trip,
Through dangers, toils, and
snares
We have already come,
Finds us on higher ground
May we be led home.
Home to one nation,
indivisible.
Home to all humans created
equal.
Home to unalienable rights.
Home to life.
Home to liberty.
Home to the pursuit of
happiness.
That a home and a country should leave us no more.
Where we all shall stand
Where the Star spangled
banner yet waves
O’er the land of the free and
the home of the brave.
