it's 1619*
& the boats are all docking, bodies pouring onto the land as freedom pours out to the sea

it's 1724
& the shackles are all rattling beneath the beaten but unbreakable who never gave up

it's 1864
& the abolitionists are all cheering, but lucky 13 never translated to equality

it's 1870
& the voters are all gathered, but the bleached out crowd still managed a loophole around the number 15

it's 1896
& the crows are all preaching. separate but equal, they say, like you can really separate equality

it's 1955
& the front bus seats are all taken, white hot anger sparking 381 days of determination

it's 1957
& the students are all shocked, the little rock needs a thousand Feds just to blend

it's 1963
& 200,000 people all have a dream,
gathering in unity for the 'greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of the nation'

it's 1965
& the voting booths are all open, the wealthy pallid mass finally forced to share their ballots

it's 2008
& the white reign is all done pouring, the flood is still flowing but at least people have the chance to try to swim before the drown

it's 2016
& the trumpets are all singing, waning out the songs of the last 400 years like we still haven't learned anything

and maybe we haven't,
maybe i've just been too
hopefully ignorant
to hear the paralyzing
sound of the TRUMPets
all along

maybe i'm searching for a tomorrow that doesn't exist
because the sound of the trumpets is thrusting us all back into yesterday

but i refuse to join in on the symphony




*'this is the new sound just like the old sound, just like the noose wound over the new ground'