We are the children
of the sun
and the stars.
We are the children of the hippies
who were strung out on peace and love
and heroin when they conceived us.
We are the children of alcoholics
conceived in blackouts.
We are the children of the punk rockers
screwed into this world
on beer and anger.
We are the children of the poor
raised on welfare and food stamps
and government housing.
We are the children of the middle class
borrowing from the government
to get a college degree
to get a job with a pension from
Corporate America
who has already fired
our fathers and mothers
before they could retire.
We are the children of the rich
who, like our fathers and mothers
before us
care only about obtaining more wealth.
We are the children of the doctors, dentists, and lawyers,
who care more
about their Porsches
and Mercedes than they do their patients.
We are the children of
the American dream
roaming the streets with a blanket
and a garbage bag full of aluminum cans.
We are the children,
who now have the children
and we hope they won’t learn racism
from us
like we learned it from
our moms and dads.
We are the children who can
change the inevitable
alter our destiny, change the future
from futile to fruitful.
Amen.