can you remember a time without fear

a time without sorrow

can you remember what life felt like before loss

before the bottom fell out

the time when the world made sense, when truth was a real, when heroes existed and we aspired to be like them

villians were cartoonish foibles, shadowy figures behind the scenes bent on world control

freedom was free, justice was just, and love was a given not a lofty goal

people stood up for what was right, not what they believed in, but what was right, universally right, unalienable rights

what happened

how did things go so wrong

where we are now is so far removed from then

the idea of honor, of respect, of one people, where are you

the idea of truth, of liberty, of justice for all, where are you

equality not inequality, ability not inability, love not hate, hope not despair

always forward, never back

i said always forward, never back

we must move forward but we can look back

we can look back and understand they are supposed to be better

always better, somehow worse

a world of love, without hate

a world of hope, without fear

we get one world, we get one chance

what do you want that legacy to be

what do you want it to be

i know what i want it to be

and i worry that it is just a dream, that this nightmare is the only reality i will ever know

i don’t know