Paradigm

I was born to two immigrants
who knew why they were here
they were happy to pay taxes for the schols and roads
happy to be here
they took it seriously
the second job of citizenry
my mother went campaining door to door
and holding to her hand was me

yet I was just a girl
in a room full of women
licking stamps and laughing
I remember the feeling
of community brewing
of democracy happening

but I suppose like anybody
I had to teach myslef to see
all that stuff that got lost
on its way to curch
all that stuff that got lost
on its way to school
all that stuff that got lost
on its way to house of my family
all that stuff that was not lost on me

teach myself to see each others
through the lens of forgiveness
like we're stuck with each other God forbid
teach myself to smile and stop and talk
to a whole other color kid
teach myself to be new in an instant like the truth
is accessible anytime
teach myself it's never really won by the other
there's paradox in every paradigm

yeah I was just a girl in a room full of women
licking stamps and alughing
I remember the feeling of community brewing
of democracy happening