She wasn’t just a girl

In fact, none of them were

just girls

or just boys

just white

or just black

or yellow

or brown.

None of them

were just good

or just bad.

They were all

just themselves;

just people,

who were all a little good,

and all a little bad.

They all just wanted something

good to hold on to

in order to belong.

 

So they made groups.

They said:

I AM WHITE!

I AM BLACK!

I AM WOMAN!

I AM MAN!

I AM RICH!

YOU ARE POOR!

I AM GOOD!

YOU ARE BAD!

I AM RIGHT!

YOU ARE WRONG!

And they were all wrong,

and they were all right too

because they were who they were.

And they were all a little good,

and all a little bad.

But some of them,

most of them,

forgot about something;

forgot about themselves;

forgot about

the In Between;

the stuff they gave away

to give in

in order to belong.

 

They gave away their sex lives,

but couldn’t change their sexuality.

They gave their pride,

but kept their homelands.

Denied their skin,

but kept their blood.

Kept their kids,

and lost their minds.

Gave their shirts,

and lost their asses.

 

They paid taxes.

They collected welfare.

They prayed to this God,

or to that God.

They had children,

or chose not to,

because of this God

or that God

or forgiveness

or no God.

 

They spoke out,

and stood up.

They didn’t settle

for the back of the bus

or the bottom of the pay scale

or the first in line at the airport security check.

 

No matter who ruled them

they didn’t settle for sons shot down

or daughters shot down

or religions shot down.

 

They call it

the Land of the Free

but it has always been

the Land of the Flawed.

We are all just us,

 

The In Betweens.

Americans.

 

Products of the world

that tried to pin us down

to just one thing,

but we have never been

just one thing.

We have always been something

from everywhere

that settled for some things

but never for just anything

from just anyone

because they’re “someone”.

 

Freedom has never been,

and will never be.

Freedom is fighting.

Freedom is

a black baptist,

a trans mayor,

a german jew,

a gay father,

a rich man

and

a girl president

all together.

 

But she’s not just a girl

she’s not all good,

but she is alright

with me.

 

I think she knows,

and I think she tries.

I think she would listen.

I think she could say

“I was not all good,”

and then change.

 

I think she’s good enough

the way she is

because she’s smart enough

to change

for us, the way we are,

 

as In Betweens.

Americans.

∴

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vintage photo of Hillary Clinton