When the Walls Come Tumbling Down by Mackinley Clevinger, February 9, 2016
When the walls come tumbling down
And the men and women,
Fighting for another’s vision,
Can go home to their families,
Can lay down their arms, not their lives,
Maybe then we’ll have peace, across the world.
When the walls come tumbling down,
And the men and women,
Fearing their brethren for their race,
Can walk together hand-in-hand,
Can fight together, not with each other,
Maybe then we’ll be brothers and sisters, together.
And the men and women,
Telling girls their place is second,
Can treat them all the same,
Can be valued by worth, and not gender,
Maybe then we’ll have respect, for all.
When the walls come tumbling down,
And the men and women,
Who don’t understand how people are,
Can accept their brothers and sons for who they are,
Can accept their sisters and daughters for who they are,
Maybe then we’ll have comfort, in who we are.
When the walls come tumbling down,
And the men and women,
Resolved to stand idle,
Can save their dying Earth,
Can undo the damages they’ve wrought,
Maybe then we’ll have a place for ourselves, and our kids.
When the walls come tumbling down,
And the men and women,
Far away and uncaring,
Can find room in their hearts for the dying,
Can care for the young without rights,
Maybe then we’ll have justice, for everyone.
But these walls won’t fall tumbling down,
Unless the men and women,
Accepting for so long of their opposition’s strength,
Can rise up and act,
Can halt the crimes of the greedy, of the uncaring,
And maybe then we’ll deserve our world, without walls.