A Waste of Power

I’m weak, tell my children I am weak
I did nothing to stop it, I did nothing
When the wind was changing I was sleeping
Thinking only of myself, thinking of me
And I wish there were more like Bayard Rustin or
More like Elaine Brown
Or the folks who stood at Warner Creek
And risked their lives
But I’m not like them
I’m just a coward in human clothes
And I can pretend
That I’m doing all I can
But I’ve never walked one day in your shoes
Now we’ve got a large presence to fill here
From all of those that came before us
But lately I’ve been feeling as though we’ve thrown dirt over that path
And we’ve neglected to cut back those weeds
Cause it’s easy to give in
When you forgot what you’re fighting for
Or if you’ve never known
The true face of hate and fear
and I’m just like them
I’m just a coward in human clothes
And I can pretend
That I’m doing all I can
But I’ve never walked one day in your shoes
Now we’ve been patting ourselves on the backs for too long
And never fessing up to the truth
That it’s not the world we need to fix it’s our own lives
Cause our pointed fingers look way too much like guns
And I wish there were more like Bayard Rustin or
More like Elaine Brown
Or the folks who stood at Warner Creek
And risked their lives
But I’m not like them
I’m just a coward in human clothes
And I can pretend
That I’m doing all I can
But I’ve never walked one day in your shoes
I’ve never walked one day in your shoes
I’ve never walked one day in your shoes