Praise your government, say the Founders, and I will know that our work creating the government and your right to speak had value.
Curse your government, say the Founders, and I will know that our work had value.
Praise or curse your government
And I will know that you value our work.
Sing out your government’s good deeds, say the Founders.
Raise your fist against your government and revile it, say the Founders.
Sing out graces or revile.
Reviling is also a kind of praise, say the Founders.
But if you sit fenced off in your apathy, say our Founders.
If you sit entrenched in: “I don’t give a hang,” say our Founders.
If you look at the Constitution and the government and yawn,
If you see suffering in the country or suffering caused by the country and don’t cry out,
If you don’t praise and you don’t revile,
Then we created the United States in vain.
This poem refers to “Sing Out”
Praise me, says God, and I will know that you love me.
Curse me, says God, and I will know that you love me.
Praise me or curse me
And I will know that you love me.Sing out my graces, says God,
Raise your fist against me and revile, says God.
Sing out graces or revile,
Reviling is also a kind of praise,
says God.
Curse me, says God, and I will know that you love me.
Praise me or curse me
And I will know that you love me.Sing out my graces, says God,
Raise your fist against me and revile, says God.
Sing out graces or revile,
Reviling is also a kind of praise,
says God.
But if you sit fenced off in your apathy,
says God,
If you sit entrenched in: “I don’t give a hang,” says God,
If you look at the stars and yawn,
If you see suffering and don’t cry out,
If you don’t praise and you don’t revile,
Then I created you in vain, says God.
Aaron Zeitlin
