I Wish I Could

I wish I could simply go and lose myself somewhere
in the forest up above a flowing river and forget there
about all the troubles here at home, all the inequity
that abounds in this crazy world we call present day.

It is all far too much for one small person to consider
incredibly overwhelming, not like anything I pictured.
It may be possible for some people to simply disappear
and ignore everything negative happening around here.

Perhaps it is even possible for me to do it, but I decline.
Me, I prefer to become an irritant, a reminder, not blind.
One of those people you see standing on a street corner
with a sign, singing slogans, protesting, and mourning.

I do this as a gesture of defiance against the status quo.
I believe in the cause of peace. I believe we should go
make our voices heard, here in this unfortunate world.
This is of great importance to me, for I gave my word.

Call me crazy, but I’ve had it up to here with the way
this country has been taken over by people who stray
from the ideals of peace and justice for all the people.
Those in charge are only interested in their own greed.

This is not the America I envisioned, it’s not the place
I thought all of us would be living in, in the year 2008.
Politicians seem to have sold their consciences for it,
wealth and power. Why don’t our people have a fit?