Children of Fear

Let these words go forth
Of this time and place
To friends across the world
To every stranger's face

We've died in almost every way
We are the children of fear
We hold our breath a hundred days
Our smile a thousand years

And America, why are you driving
Tour children from your shores
And your highways and your free streets
And from your beautiful home
"My country, right or wrong?"
Said one man long ago
"My country should be right"
This line we seldom know

And in a time of once-upon
We were the children of tears
Our laughter held a hundred days
Our smile a thousand years

And to the world, I am asking
Why do you have these boundaries?
As you people, why are you pretending
Not to know one another, oh please
Tell me where, are we not all one?
What have we to protect?
Some nation under God or
Some shadow to respect

We were the children of the sky
We stood by heaven's gates
Our nation scattered to the wind
Is this United States?

And we were living in your cities
It's put us out of touch
Oh America, you eat your children
That's asking much too much too much
We're filled with city-death
And the cities are filled with holes
To cover our Negro skin
To hide our Indian souls

We've died in almost every way
We are the children of fear
We hold our breath a hundred days
Our smile a thousand years

And to the world, I have asked it
Why do you have these boundaries?
As you people, why are you pretending
Not to know one another, oh please
And America, why you sending
Your children from your gates
Oh America, quit pretending
Not to be this United States
And America, why are you driving
Your children from your shores
Oh America, why you driving
Your children from your shores
Oh America