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.
∴
vintage photo of Hillary Clinton
Loved Lauren Lege’s article. So spot on
Her grandparents loved it too
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Beautiful Lauren. Go girl!
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