Changing of the Guard

My eyes have seen the glory of all that we could be
and shed tears for all we are not
Complacent, obedient worker bees
assimilate the simulation
to be all we can be, as seen on TV
Ever blinded by humanity's vanity
oblivious to the ripples we set in motion from cast stones
Convincing ourselves we're all alone
even when we're together
We turn our backs to missed opportunities
cast carelessly aside
like dirty needles and unused condoms
in the alleys behind our churches
Where all too often we're taught that
there's just enough religion in the world
to make us hate, but not enough to
make us love
And Jesus wept

Star spangled gang bangers brainwashed to believe that
killing is the only way to live and
you need to take to give
After all, tell someone they're worthless long enough
and they'll begin to believe it
Once we fought for freedom of speech
Nowadays the people that fought against it
wave it like a flag
while having the audacity to cry equality
Addicted to the notion that
there must always be an enemy
at the root of all of our problems
Never taking the time to
look in the mirror and reflect
The truth is simple
Divided we stand
United we fall
And in the end
there will be no tears of sadness
or cheers of victory
just silence
and a hopeful curiosity
of what will rise from the fall