Fire lights the sky
Explosions up so high
How I love the fourth of July
But then I think
Why
Why do we celebrate
When our brothers and friends are dying
When innocent youths duck down crying
While on our own streets women are *****
In the loud crack of the fireworks
A man is shot dead
By a silent thief who quietly lurks
In the shadows where a man now lies in a pool of red
Police abuse their powers
While mere children are trapped in bullet showers
As a shopkeeper is killed as he cowers
All i see is impending doom
I do not know to what or to whom
As you sit reading in your room
Do you also think we've built our own tomb
Will we all be without homes
Will our country fall like Rome
Will this become an ancient tome
A mere relic of our great land
With its beautiful beaches covered in sand
Purple mountains standing graceful and grand
And I realize
I should dry my eyes
Because no matter what
Nothing can take what we have built
Never will our flower wilt
An I will say forever, and ever
Remember, remember
Change will come in November
Or maybe not
I know not what lies ahead
And i don't care, I just hope i wont be dead
And then I avert my eyes
Oh how i love the fourth of July
Because then i can think
And watch the beautiful iridescent skies
(c) Steven Forrester and the United States of America
2008