How Long

one’s slow & one’s grumpy

they live in the white house

they have lots of parties the fun never ends

let’s make sure when the day finally comes

time to move out

they don’t hand the keys off to one of their friends

and how long are we gonna put up with this

how long can we keep getting kicked in the head

come back and beg for more

this renegade frat boy is hazing the country

his cronies and yes men all cheering him on

when we beg him to stop he just pulls off our dignity

pins down our arms ’til our spirit is gone

and how long…..

the Miller’s next door, we don’t see them much lately

their kids used to play ’til the light disappeared

and the oldest one, James, so proud in his uniform

let’s see, he would’ve been 20 this year

still you send off our boys with a patriot noise

and you can’t even show up on weekends to serve

you strike up a war to settle a score

yeah you know what it’s for

and you’ve got your nerve

and how long….

what happened to leaders who actually cared

for their places in history, cared for the truth

now we get dimwits who gloat over gimlets

with kerosene eyes and hearts cold as duluth

and how long…

i’d so love to not feel so constantly twisted up

heated, clench-fi sted and chronically mad

no better than those dealing the blows

and spending the time i’ll wish later i had

when you care for the cause,

you act to protect it

when you care for the truth,

you do not correct it

when you care for the earth,

you try not to neglect it

when you care about light,

you help to refl ect it

history’s memory is snap photographic

and history’s eyes have the deadliest aim

but history’s heart will be far from empathic

when it fi nally gets to uncover your game

and how long….

one’s slow & one’s grumpy

they live in the white house

they have lots of parties the fun never ends

let’s make sure when the day fi nally comes

time to move out

they don’t hand the keys off

to one of their friends

kenny white…piano