(10/13/12)

At the beginning of “64” - I packed up my uniform
And walked out the door- it was the beginning of
The Vietnam war.
By August of that same year
President  Johnson started the draft
Under protests and jeers.

Then he made it a full scale war
And sent our soldiers to Vietnam shores.
The Beatniks in Greenwich village
With their long hair, beards, and
Flip flop sandals - wrote their poetry
About this undeclared war, and why
Our men were going to those shores.

This created a new generation called ‘HIPPIES”
The hippie generation was groups of protesters
Against everything that they found wrong
The draft , the war , pollution
And loved to stay high with ***, hashish
Coke and acid (lsd) which kept them blasted.

This also created the “ flower children”
Who like the hippies loved to be high
And on certain flowers they would fly.
But they spoke of loving one another
And gave out flowers as a sign of peace
Which to the president was a relief.

They all started painting this “53 Chevy impala”
With the words “ flower power”.
Now the “ flower children and hippie movement
Was in full swing, and everyone was doing their own thing.

They had  Greenwich village under their control
And not one coffee shop would ever be sold.
Every coffee shop had a poetry night
And going there was such a delight.

Then in AUGUST of “69”
The WOODSTOCK festival was on the rise
Over half a million people drove to that farmland
And set up tents , hammocks, sleeping bags and such
And the police found it was much to much
So they had no choice but to see it through
Because there was nothing else that they could do.

The WOODSTOCK  festival had become world wide
And to this day it still thrives.

© L . RAMS

10,000 people died today,
but none of them I knew.
10,000 bombs later,
the sky's no longer blue.

how long until he realizes
too many have died?
how long until the he notices
there is no one by his side.

there is no one by his side...
they've all gone to look for america.

the earth is burning down.
oh, the earth is burning down.
drop your guns, forget your war,
open up a brand new door;
there is love..
all we need is love.

I'm frightened for our children,
they'll never find their way.
blinded in these ashes,
not knowing of the day.

if you're not part of the solution,
you're part of the problem.
beautiful things are falling,
but no, it's not autumn.

no, it's not autumn.
we've all gone to look for america.

the earth is burning down.
oh, the earth is burning down.
drop your guns, forget your war,
open up a brand new door;
there is love..
all we need is love.

we all cried out with no reply.
it was a cry, hard to deny.
but they did, they did deny.
oh yes, they did deny.

oh, how does it feel
to be on your own?
no map, no friend
to guide to home?

no friend to guide you home;
he's gone to look for america.

drop your guns, forget your war,
open up a brand new door;
there is love..
all we need is love.