by Karen Bradley
I am proud to present you gentle reader with the first poem at the Island!!
These days there's been a lot of screaming
Much ado about racial, ethnic, and sexual lines
Loud organized groups who seethe and whine
Bitching about the troubles of our time
Well I believe that among the racists
Amid the sea of extremists and puritans
Within the walls of supremacists and separatists
Live the quiet ones
The silent majority
Who live close to harmony
A new generation who ignore your stupidity
True humans, living and loving in humility
Well I've got a message for all those hate groups
And a sermon for all the religious soup
I never asked for your opinion
And I won't let you govern my life
You're not solving any problems
You only create more stress and strife
Now it's time for the quiet ones to begin to shout
To let you know, your attitude we can live without
If you still don't get it, I'll say it slow
I'm gonna tell you where to go
You can take your invitation
To your Arian Nation
And stick it where the sun don't shine
You can take your oppressed minorities
And separate, that's just fine
But don't you dare
Tell me with whom my life I should share
And don't even try
To convince me love's a lie
Cause I know my head
And I know my heart
And this is just the start
I don't need you
to tell me who my friends are
And I don't need you
To tell me what I am
I don't need you
To tell me how to live
And I don't need you
To tell me who to love
So you can continue to bash and hate
You can preach and whine
You can keep up that old tired debate
But my friends and I are doing just fine
I invite the quiet ones to join me
For once let's get loud
Let's tell them what we really see
And come out from behind the shroud
Let's remind them where we are
And the things that we all share
Not one of us was invited here
So get off that pompous high chair
We could learn from our Native American hosts
And give back to the land we took
We should respect each other
And live together
Instead of behaving like thieves and crooks
But if you want to continue to live in the past
And stay on the path of hate
If you insist in believing in blue-eyed devils
And putting up walls and gates
Then be prepared for a good long fight
I think there's more of us than you know
I believe the winners will be live and insight
The passing of time will show
So form your Arian Nation
And build your black island
I really don't care
Just make a decision
To either kill each other
Or leave this nation
Just do it and get out of my hair
I don't care where you came from
I don't care what color you are
I didn't ask who your God is
I don't want to know what your politics are
I just want to live my life in peace
I'll judge my friends by their character
I will try to ignore your petty griefs
And live my life in love and laughter
I will celebrate the people I love
In all their brilliant colors
I will continue to adore
All of my sisters and brothers
I know you don't approve
Of this peaceful invocation
But you'll have to accept us all
Regardless of race, creed, or sexual orientation
But if you refuse
And continue your tantrums
You'll just have to leave
And sing some other nation's anthems
From the hells of hate
To the pompous religious right
From the bowls of bigotry
To the righteous smite
From the closed and ignorant minds
Of the sheltered and privileged doors
To the angry and bitter souls
Of the untutored and the poor
I invite you all to reevaluate what matters
To make a choice right now
Before the whole thing shatters
You can either leave this place
Or in peace join me
In making an effort
To change our children's destiny
If you don't like what I'm saying
And it's really too much to grasp
Then I sincerely invite you
To take a hike and kiss my ass!
Karen E. Bradley
October 10, 1995