i love my country   by which i mean   i am indebted joyfully   to all the people throughout its history   who have fought the government to make right   where so many cunning sons and daughters   our foremothers and forefathers   came singing through slaughter   came through hell and high water    so that we could stand here   and behold breathlessly the sight   how a raging river of tears   cut a grand canyon of light      yes, i've bin so many places   flown through vast empty spaces   with stewardesses whose hands   look much older than their faces   i've tossed so many napkins   into that big hole in the sky   bin at the bottom of the atlantic   seething in a two-ply   looking up through all that water   and the fishes swimming by   and i don't always feel lucky   but i'm smart enough to try   cuz humility has buoyancy   and above us only sky   so i lean in   breathe deeper that brutal burning smell   that surrounds the smoldering wreckage   that i've come to love so well   yes, color me stunned and dazzled   by all the red white and blue flashing lights   in the american intersection   where black crashed head on with white   comes a melody   comes a rhythm   a particular resonance   that is us and only us   comes a screaming ambulance   a hand that you can trust    laid steady on your chest   working for the better good   (which is good at its best)   and too, bearing witness   like a woman bears a child:   with all her might      born of the greatest pain   into a grand canyon of light      i mean, no song has gone unsung here   and this joint is strung crazy tight   and people bin raising up their voices   since it just ain't bin right   with all the righteous rage   and all the bitter spite   that will accompany us out   of this long night   that will grab us by the hand   when we are ready to take flight   seatback and traytable   in the upright and locked position   shocked to tears by each new vision   of all that my ancestors have done      like, say, the women who gave their lives   so that i could have one      people, we are standing at ground zero   of the feminist revolution   yeah, it was an inside job   stoic and sly   one we're supposed to forget    and downplay and deny   but i think the time is nothing   if not nigh   to let the truth out   coolest f-word ever deserves a fucking shout!   i mean    why can't all decent men and women   call themselves feminists?   out of respect    for those who fought for this    i mean, look around    we have this       yes   i love my country   by which i mean   i am indebted joyfully   to all the people throughout its history   who have fought the government to make right   where so many cunning sons and daughters   our foremothers and forefathers   came singing through slaughter    came through hell and high water   so that we could stand here   and behold breathlessly the sight   how a raging river of tears   is cutting a grand canyon of light