back yourself up

we danced to the old songs dated
back when life seemed less

complicated less strung out

on media talking to us from our pockets our screens keeping tabs all
night and day long we danced freely like we had some kind of voice some kind of choice in this automated cyber world you really gotta know deep down who you are

download yourself or get
tagged archived judged and encrypted
back yourself up

(less than) lethal

the people come together

pelted by rubber bullets burned

by tear gas. fuck the pandemic! they

will not be detained

the force is lethal

calls itself less than

less than lethal but make no mistake

whatever label they slap on
the force is lethal

it can kill you make

no mistake it can and

will

and

litigation can take
the spine out of any
charge

un.feeling

if you had a heart you cried if

you had a heart you shouted out

against the unspeakable 

horror if you

if you had a heart it broke and maybe 

you could not control yourself 

for a while

grieving these systemic patterns 

you could not bear to remain

orderly

calm

respectable

peaceful

out on the streets

where a drop became many

a stream became a river 

an ocean of

feeling
against the unfeeling

dredging up a particle of hope

there to see where
we were not
alone 

minnea.polis

they wield extreme power they can kill you in public
and will. and did. again. George Floyd. we expressed outrage
six feet away from the sidewalk to the ends of the earth. we
who have hearts alive and beating
theft and what did you expect? fires. broken glass. mayhem and what
america? what did you expect? you hunt and trap our friends our comrades
helpless. caged. handcuffed on the ground all the breath forced out of them. another life
stolen another family loss. a community. a nation of communities.
america you will wake up from your imperial dream you will. the
institutionalized isms will be eradicated. we won't let you sleep our country
means to much to us. leaders arise to deliver
social justice. free shipping. cops accused of murder. found
guilty. based on facts. convicted. sentenced to life
or death

airwaves

when you feel unwanted
like static

to airwaves

remember

sometimes
only you
can see see how
essential you
are

stay true to
you

constant

trustworthy
anchored between
stations

even static has its righteous
place in this
world

what the hell

i didn't know

what the hell i 

was doing

i lacked insight

i lacked judgment

but i did what i did

and i did

what i could

and survived and

now i know

what the
hell

keep dreaming

when you finally let

the old dream go

you can get down

to really living

they say

but who?

who can live?

who can live without

dreams