LYRIC FOR SALE

By Christopher Paul

Here I stand
An immovable testament
To man's inability to come to his collective senses
To his continued quest to build fences and walls
To his fevered desire to rise by watching others fall

I am but a symbol
A symbol of the status quo
Of the apathy and ignorance
That has plagued mankind since the dawn of time
A symbol of man's indifference to one another
Of unresolved differences between sister and brother
A symbol of avoidance and fear

Born of cedar and forged by common hands
I stand on common ground in this holiest of lands
An uncommon relic from another time
Weathered and weary, on this wall I lean
Dreaming of the day when men are keen
To open their minds and break the chains that blind their souls

For centuries, I've stood and waited, to no avail
While others failed to embrace change
And thus, remained estranged from the world around them
Choosing instead to yield to the mounting swell of unfettered hatred
Tempting fate with their lack of tolerance and understanding
Branding those not the same as them as outcasts
Unwilling to extend their hand in good faith and friendship

What is it that causes one man to shun the other?
The color of his face?
Opposing faiths?
Or is it that he comes from a different place?
No man is like another
Why can't the human race embrace and celebrate the differences in each other?
Why can't they learn to live in peace?

I was meant to help mankind climb
To rise above his station and reach for higher ground
Looking down, all I see is a fractured world of misguided nations
Whose leaders bow to temptation and greed
Who have no interest in their people's needs
Or their right to self-determination

Here I am
Ever standing
An uncommon testament to the status quo of man
Immovable after all these years
An unwanted symbol of his fear and prejudice
How could he allow his fellow man to become his nemesis?
How could he ever let one of his own fall from grace?

And so I wait
And hope
And pray
That one day
He'll come to his senses
That he'll abandon his false pretenses
And bare his soul to those unlike himself
That he'll dare them to open their hearts and minds as well
And let kindness and acceptance find their way into their shuttered lives

Then
And only then
Will he rise above and love his fellow man
Then
And only then
Will the common hands that made me
Claim me
And see me for what I truly am
An uncommon symbol
Of the status quo that no longer stands