I BEAT THE GROUND

I beat the ground here with fists and with tears
Never to make a wrong a right and never to lose sight
Got to remember the stories and continue the fight

I beat the ground
At the base of the locust tree
So that the ghost of the strange fruit can be free

I beat the ground with marching feet
Every step closer to equality
Look at the black and white photos of the call for dignity

I beat the ground
With peace as the gravel cuts the hand the knuckles bleed
Who died here children, women or men as we hear the stories again

I beat the ground with my mind
Looking past political lies freedom is my right
Ignorance is no excuse when you break the rules

I beat the ground
With optimism hearing the echoing sounds of Martin and Malcolm
A definite dream striving for its reality

I beat the ground with my voice
I demand the right to a choice
To hear the stories of injustice

I beat the ground
To never forget
The stories should not end with regret, but with how to forgive


©Copyright Thomas Dooley 2020

CRIMSON AND CREAM

An intelligent dream, an education so sweet
With feminity power no suffrage of tears
Striving for more from ourselves

Crimson and cream
Freedom is accountability
Time to see what courage will bring

Skip to the tune of a new generation
But where is the path for our nation
The evidence is clear, but ignorance does not know how to fear
Ignorance only know what it wants to know and nothing more

Crimson and cream
The world will see
A serious composure of dignity

Have we forgotten unconditional love
Some have forgotten where they come from
It is our mothers who give birth to children

©Copyright Thomas Dooley 2020

BRITTLE

The world has become brittle
While we do so little
Not in tweets, not in memes
But in the way, we follow our dreams

It takes courage to bring honest words to life
We say things wrong we say things right
As we pass the blame for these verbal fights

The world has become brittle.
As those in power think so little
Locking doors to compassion and empathy
They might control the dollars, but we are one nation.

It took strength to sit; it took strength to kneel
Harriet could have died, as history books were placed on the shelf to hide
As our children celebrate celebrities with tattooed faces

The world has become brittle.
Forcing society to change their pronouns
Just because you are not who you think you are
This journey is yours; forcing the movement just slows it down.

No medicine will heal an ego that seeks to kill
A coward that hides behind power, this filth doesn't wash off in the shower.
It takes courage to give truth a voice; that is what speaks louder.

The world has become brittle.

People live for the attention of words

Other people die because of words

As Daphne body hits the pavement

The privileged changes history just claim the victim name

Many have died before you tweeting your pain is not the same

Understand the words before you believe the lies; life is not a game 

Stop being so brittle; stop thinking so little.

Bring out the kindness you hide and the empathy inside
Look at where you have come from and just laugh.

©Copyright Thomas Dooley 2020

LISTENING

Listening to the mid sonic tone
The dream of a comforting home
To my mind all I hear OM

Listening to the sister play the flute
More than a song more than a tune
What you look for is inside you

Listening to the sunrise
The song of birth of new life
This journey begins inside

Listening to the dream
This is beyond free
There is much more to see

©Copyright Thomas Dooley 2020