Thanks to Reid Baer for reading my words so wonderfully. Original music by Peri Urban.
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=NewWarriorMan
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Yes, you have freedom of speech,
But not here.
In your own home perhaps
But not on the streets (unless we agree).
You can't preach hate
Even if it's what you feel.
By speaking aloud
You risk making imagination real.
Is that what you want?
You do have freedom of speech
But not here, do you see?
Not now.
This is our playground.
This is our money tree.
Of course, you can say what you like
As long as we like it too
And if we like what you say
Things could turn out very good for you.
It's only words after all.
That's what we're talking about here.
Words, not reality.
Take a deep breath and hold on.
Soon the need to speak will pass,
As will the shadow of fear.
Freedom of speech?
Well, kinda.
You can say what you like on your own lawn
But step over that great divide
Onto the next blade of grass
(The one that isn't yours)
And your neighbour owns your thoughts.
That earnest thinking,
That deep philosophy,
Those magical ideas -
None of them are yours any more
If you express them on someone else's turf.
Freedom of expression.
Who owns that idea?
Well, Kembrew MacLeod has the right to "Freedom of Expression"
And now I owe him a debt,
And if he calls it in these words will vanish.
This diamond of structured consciousness
Rendered meaningless by oblivion and regret.
There was a thing I once thought,
I even impressed myself, no easy feat.
It might have been in the middle of the night.
Yeah, that seems about right.
Perhaps it was a song,
And I vowed to remember and cherish and repeat,
But it slipped my grasp,
And it's gone.
Now, that was freedom.
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