who told you

who told you
that you could not heal a lifetime of woe in this very moment

that it was better to play small
and compromise your dreams for a booby prize

who was it that advised you
to never be bold

that your righteous love would be punished
and where has it gotten you

who said
you were to age to a creaky halt

never to run your marathon
or manifest your innermost hope of love

who thought to say
it would not be you to defeat the fascists

without lifting a single armament
yet with one flap of a butterfly's wings

who told you to be quiet
that behaving and going along with the lies

would be of any use
or could buy you even one more moment

did you think
you were too old to start anew

growing food for a living
or on some other clean and moral calling

would you doubt that a boy
could live without food

if he was fierce enough to set his mind to it
and then simply run for his life

wasn't it Jesus who said
while preparing to depart

that with faith
you could do even greater things than these

who said it was
better to keep quiet

than to look like a fool
accidently declaring your most shameful secret

who was it
advising you that you might be better off

compounding a weak-willed lie
with a lifetime of covering up

why then do you not speak out
against the violence of a government

killing children around the world
for a greasy dollar bill

don't you realize
the sanctity of your autonomy

cannot be stolen even at gunpoint
surrounded by a death camp's barbed wire

then why would you doubt
the miracles that are in store

for your very life
and this magical Earth

and when will you speak out
and claim what is yours

by the very nature of your existence
which is rooted in the Creator's love

for didn't Jesus also say
if you bring forth

that which is within you
it will save you

who told you otherwise...
all I can tell you here

is that it certainly
wasn't me