iv

i heard it once

that there were those who sought their lives

with the memories of lives lost

at the cost of lost lives

i’ve heard it many times

that grandfathers and children were lost

beneath the muddy earth trod murderer’s march

saying: for the land my father bled upon the land

i hear it all the time

mother’s mothers smothered ‘neath a grief thick blanket

where the young men took young women

on the land where their children beneath the beating sun now dance

i never stop hearing

about the way we knew it was

and how we’ll make it better

in being better than before

and how it’s not the way it used to be

if only, how much better it would be

the voices keep saying

we’ll make sure

we’ll make sure

i heard it once

we’ll erase what came before

we know what’s right, we’ll give what’s for

we will even out the score

i’ve heard it said and said before

we’ll hear it said and said once more

we’ll hear it said and said once more

we’ll hear it said

we’ll hear it said and said for sure

but once is all it takes