Humming Fools

[Micah Bournes]
We are proud to be storytellers
But there was a time when we were considered fools
When only birds could fly
And the earth was flat
When hip hop and jazz
Were not considered music
When Black and Brown
Were not considered human
When humans could not walk on the moon
When pictures could not move
When women could not vote
When we could not share a meal
Unless we shared a skin tone

Yes, we were there
Way back then
Being mocked and dismissed by most
But we never were ashamed
We never stayed quiet
We were there
Telling stories of a day when impossible
Things would be daily routines
Today’s common sense
Was yesterday’s absurdity
Yet, here we are

Here we are today

Here we are
Flying on airplanes
Walking on moons
Watching moving pictures
In multiple dimensions
Voting FOR women
Listening to MCs flow rivers of words
Over jazz beats
Having meals
And children with
Lovers from other cultures

Yes, here we are
Still considered fools
Being mocked and dismissed by most
But we never are ashamed
We never stay quiet
Here we are
Telling stories of a day when impossible things
Will be daily routines
Today’s absurdity will be
Tomorrow’s common sense
And we’ll be there
With more stories to be told
More voices to be heard
More never(s) becoming every days

We’ll be there
When creative things are not considered electives
But core to the education of human beings
When developing your creativity is a responsible thing
And working a passionless job to get rich is a silly dream
We’ll be there
When art is taken down from its ivory tower
Consumed less like caviar and more like bread and water
We’ll be there when artists are not starving
When humans are not starving
When being White is not a privilege and being Black is not a curse
When we love Mother Earth like a mother
Instead of only taking from her
We’ll be there
When our fantasies become common sense
And even then
We will speak of impossible things
The only hope we have are the stories we tell
Stories not bound by what is possible
By what is dead
We walk on water
We resurrect
They laughed us to death
But here we are
Humming fools
Unashamed of hope
Our stories are future
Our stories are foolish
Only until tomorrow
Until tomorrow
Until tomorrow
Here we are today
Here we are today

[Chorus: Thomas Drayton, David Manuel, Vernon Caraway & Izzi Ray]
Until tomorrow
Until tomorrow
Here we are today
Here we are today
Until tomorrow
Maybe we were born
Until tomorrow
Maybe we were raised
Until tomorrow
Maybe there’s a reason we were made
For a time like this
Until tomorrow
Maybe we were born
Until tomorrow
Maybe we were raised
Until tomorrow
Maybe there’s a reason we were made
For a time like this
Until tomorrow
Until tomorrow
Here we are today
Here we are today