some words

After the cut.

Flashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fight
Flashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight
And for each and every underdog soldier in the night

We gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing

I know what’s happening in America hurts. It’s hurting a lot of people. I’m a cisgender white male, the one category that is safe in the post-election climate…and it’s hurting me too. I’m seeing the fear that’s affecting so many people. It almost seems futile to say “stay strong”.

But I’ll say it anyway: Stay strong.

Tolling for the rebel, tolling for the rake
Tolling for the luckless, the abandoned and forsaked
Tolling for the outcast, burning constantly at stake
We gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing

To those of you who might be mocked, insulted, assaulted, spat upon, made to feel small for who you are…for your race, gender, sexual identity, national origin, religious beliefs, political beliefs, disabilities, weight, hair color, or choice of hobbies…for any reason other than how much goodness and love there is in your heart and mind and soul…

I love you. And I’ve got your back.

And I’m not alone in saying this.

And you’re not alone. Ever.

Tolling for the searching ones, on their speechless, seeking trail
For the lonesome-hearted lovers with too personal a tale
And for each unharmful, gentle soul misplaced inside a jail
We gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing

We will get through this, and we will at the end have a stronger, wiser, more loving world.

As Martin Luther King Jr. once said: “I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”

It may be darkest now…but it always is before the dawn.
Tolling for the aching ones whose wounds cannot be nursed
For the countless confused, accused, misused, strung-out ones and worse
And for every hung-up person in the whole wide universe
We gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
 
(“Chimes Of Freedom”, lyrics by Bob Dylan)

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