I Take a Knee and Stand Up

I Take a Knee in Solidarity
And stand
For the struggle of those injured and pulled down
Striped with anonymity’s blooded hand
Marginalized and confined
And given no room to shine
Within those fifty tarnished stars
Those left out of American proud
Wear these stars like scars
On a discolored badge of broken promises
Worn like a shroud
I Take a Knee and Stand Up
for all who fall and fail because
the Hand on Heart doesn't always work for liberty’s sake
and sees other’s rights and speech as a mistake
They who tout the anthem as their duties part
and fly the flag at will but fear to accept or fulfill
the full measure of freedom for all
I Take a Knee until our multicultural democracy
Allows no cultural divide or bias to reside
To hold no select group or singular soul
In the cross hairs and scope of narrowed sight
Before humane understanding is brought to light
Attend heart and voice only to compassioned intent
Bite hard the bullet that flies in the face
of justice and trust, and pardons us
Our justification in our inaction
Leaving our nation historically and habitually in disgrace
I Take a Knee to beseech all I can reach
To get right up front bull’s-eye close in the face
With our vote and constitutional protest power and erase
The uncompromising reality of conflating race
No ethnic difference should be misconstrued or used
As defense for the fence of pretense
Set in stone and cemented in place
There can be no “sit-in:-“take a knee” retreat from defeat
I Take a Knee Like a Living Prayer
For healing and validity in our democracy
Until we can all kneel in devoted dignity
Where equality and justice can truly reside
Within our diverse and beautiful citizenry
Then we can yield our patriotism in celebration
of the American Dream made manifest for us all-
MLH

Written for Colin Kaepernick and for all who take a knee in solidarity for true Justice and equality I take a knee and stand with you