I used to have a classmate
Who was disappointed in me one day
Because I wrote about how the flag
The pride of our nation
Reminded me of hate
But she would not read what I had to say

She thought the same as a lot of people
Who do not look like me
The look at the flag and see proud history
But we see our blood running in streams
We see stars that we cannot reach
Because for far too long
For reasons unbeknownst to me
We are treated like the enemy

We go for a run
We read in our cars
We ask you for help

Then we're falsely accused
And beaten bruised
You put your knees in our necks
And bullets in our backs
You dare to call this the land of the free and justice for all
When we could not be farther from that

And yet you blame us

We are lazy
We play victim
We play the race card
But you make a profit when we are behind bars

Do you really believe we have ourselves to blame
When for centuries you've treated us like animals impossible to tame
It's hard to get an education in a nation that does not care
Where we are bullied because of skin
And thrown away because of our hair
We cannot go shopping in peace
Whether for magazines or for our next meal
You watch us, follow us, or keep is from entering
Because you're afraid that we'll steal

But you've stolen our freedom and hate our success
In a nation under God that's supposedly blessed
Our triumph angers you
Heat rushes to your cheeks
You cannot deny this
'Cause we remember Black Wall Street

Tell me why are you so indifferent
Why are you so blind
Why can't you see past your privilege and pride
Why do you care more about keeping us in chains
Than when we die
Than when we are killed right in front of your eyes

We can't breathe

But you refuse to hear me
You don't want our voices to be heard
But you will fight with your life just to say the n word

We can't breathe

For hundreds of years
In hundreds of ways
You've kept us slaves
You put our liberty in graves
Freedom that was never truly alive in the first place
But we will let no man pull us low enough to hate

Instead we will fight
We will write
We will sing
We will preach
We will rise

You set fire to our structures
But we will burn across the sky
We will march hand in hand
Until you understand

That despite different complexions, hair textures, and body shapes
That the same blood runs through all of our veins
That there is only one human race

We will have liberty
We will have justice
And we will have peace
For the first time in centuries

We will be able to breathe

I never wanted to know what I know now
For I know now how evil people can be
How children bully each other to the point of suicide
How parents will abuse their own children
How man will abuse a woman who tells him "no" and vice versa
How hatred can spread because of one's race
How hatred can spread because of one's sexuality
How one person can convince an entire army to **** innocent people

And the people who fight against it
Are threatened
Are beaten
Are gunned down
Are bombed
Are murdered
Are torn down by the very people they are trying to help

The fact of the matter is
These people want equality
These people want peace
These people want freedom
These people want blacks and whites to take each other's hands
These people want gays and straights take each other's hands
These people want love

To spread love
To show everyone that love is real
To show that love is the only answer you need

When you're sad
When you're depressed
When you're angry
When you're confused
When you're sitting there wondering why you were born

The people who think this need and deserve love
The people who feel this need and deserve love
These people just want love

And I pray that one day
Love be what we show to our brothers and sisters
We show that we care
We show that we will always have their backs
We show that we will always stand beside them
We show that we will always be there when they need us
We show that no matter what happens we will always love them
Always

XC is running through the sprinklers with your crazy goofy team
Rolling your ankles running hills
Cross country means so much to me it’s true
Running is all we do
School day seems shorter
Practice seems longer
The sun is shining
It’s warmer then it’s colder

XC every single moment is worth its weight in gold
XC it’s high school’s best story
And it’s waiting to be told
It’s bleacher 5K’s, well earned PRs
And your sport’s punishment
Cross country man where do I begin

XC we’re rained on during practice and we run with soaking feet
XC we get lost on distance runs and say we went out to eat
It’s also
Basma’s smart wisecracks, also Mariam’s sass
And calling Amy the wrong name
Courtney going ham, my freshmen children
And ab workouts causing us pain
Mehak!
Oh wait. Maybe I’m going too fast.

XC it’s weight room and it’s hard work ‘cause you do it for the *****
XC it’s crying at the banquet
Cuz your team is just one happy family
And I don’t wanna leave

First year was longer
Last year was shorter
I’m gonna miss y’all
My eyes are getting warmer

XC every single moment was worth its weight in gold
XC it was my favorite story thanks to you guys it was told
A running high and my team cheering
And then that final sprint
Cross country man where do I begin

(XC)
Where do I begin
(XC)
I promise I’ll visit

Why do you call them ugly
Why do you put them down
Why does nobody help
Why does no one make a sound

Why do you think you can judge them
Why do you sneer at them in the hall
Why do you treat them so cruelly
When you don't know them at all

Why do you spread rumors
When you know they are not true
Why don't you ever think about
How you would hate it if it were you

Why are you too ignorant
To care how you make them feel
Why are you a heartless thief
Why is it their happiness you steal

Why must you behave this way
You strike others down to build yourself up
Why can't you find other outlets
Why does sadism fill your cup

Why must you take your pain out on others
Why must you hurt people to feel good
Why don't you turn the other cheek
If you opened your eyes you could

Why can't you see their epitaph
And know you'll have no one but yourself to blame
Why don't you realize your wrongdoing
Before it is too late

Why do you think you're untouchable
You don't predict reprisal from those you are nasty toward
I really hope you change your ways
For being a bully will have its just rewards