On Being a 13'er, an X'er, a Whatever
Some of us are old enough.
Some of us remember,
Sitting in the living room
With Mommy and Daddy.
Watching men walk on the moon.
Those who remember say
It was the last day,
The last day of sanity,
Before we lost it all.
We watched again,
In the living room
As Mommy and Daddy
Fought with words,
And from our bedrooms
As they fought with knives.
Who won? Who cares?
We lost.
We watched from
One home and another.
They fought with lawyers.
Mommy won? We're poor.
Daddy won? Our own TV.
"Now don't leave your room."
Who won? Who cares?
We lost.
We watched two nations.
They fought with words,
With other nation's children,
With other nation's soldiers.
One went bankrupt and lost.
Almost bankrupt, we won.
Or did the Japanese win?
Who won? Who cares?
We lost.
We watched generations battle.
"Property taxes!" Said the old.
"Fewer rules!" Said the young.
So our schools fell apart,
As our family's fell apart.
Because no one cared about kids.
Who won? Who cares?
We lost.
We watched the wage fight.
Unions cried "Wages, benefits!"
While companies cried
"Profits for share holders!"
So modernization died,
For profits today.
Who won? Who cares?
We lost.
We watched alone.
And fought alone.
We won alone.
And lost alone.
Now, we stand alone.
Together, we act alone.
"I'll win! No one knows
I've lost."
We watch the young
And we know
That we must stop
And help them go.
They have not lost.
With help, they can win.
They'll win! We care;
We'll lose
© 1996 Melanie Johnson
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