One Race

We are all one race

In the race of life that tries to berate us––that tries to break us

And like the fragile wings of a baby bird, we try to take flight

But something always tries to stop us

And even though every race has a winner and a loser, this race does not

But if you ask the stranger you walk past down the street, you may get shot

Because you don’t know what they’re capable of

Sadly, as time went on we forgot how to love

How to respect each other how to work as one to obtain a common goal

For our daughters and sons––for our children to come

We are all one race

But the funny thing is we contribute the word to one specific definition

See, race doesn’t have to have anything to do with color

And we’d know that if only we’d take the time to listen

Listen … a forgotten word in itself

We spend more time at each other’s throats, screaming and yelling

And for what!? Just to do it again the next day?

Sometimes, I fear that nothing’s ever gonna change

We are all one race

A race that must learn to step in and when necessary step down

And it’s not always because what we’re saying or doing is wrong

But because our words are more powerful when we have others to lean on

Because there are other things in this melancholic world more powerful than what money can buy us

What house defines us and what car impresses us

Rolling in green may sound fun at first glance but

Remember that no amount of money changes the fate of our death

We are all one race

And it’s not Asian or Caucasian

Black or Hispanic

German or Polish

Irish or Scottish

We bleed the same blood, cry the same tears

We breathe the same air and may even have the same fears

Fears that our world may end with our heads in the sand and a gun in our hands

We go from protesting to rioting to flipping cars

And the more we hurt those around us, the deeper the scars

Why care that the politicians lie to our faces

Why care that our food and water is contaminated

Why care that our children are dying in the “safest” of places

When we could care more about why gay marriage is a disgrace

And whether or not you do right is not determined by the color of your skin

Or the person you like

Or the locations you’ve been

It’s not determined by the parts you possess

Because we’re all buried knee deep into this mess

And if we don’t get our act together and start having compassion

Then we’ll have no other choice

But to simply repress

We are all one race

And that race is human

It’s time we act like it

To quit being so stupid

It’s time to raise the bar and stand up tall

Because in the end, it’s love that conquers all