the more i learn, the less i have to say
about the past. i learned shame fast, and kept
my peace for years: i worked, i learned, i met
my goals, except for one. i watched us pay
our global debt of fears and death, ensconced
in selfish guilt; too young, too poor, too shy
to talk beyond the towers, to see the sky
as more than entry point. but where i lost
my joy, i now have found my pride: the time
has come for me, for mine, for us! the young
respond, both call and reply: yes, we can.
the shame of years is gone, we draw the line
between the 3rd and 4th: our hopes were hung
for progress, peace, and hope. yes, we can.