I'm Still Surprised

I got a 4-year old girl, she’s laughing, sitting in the bathroom, playing with toys

The news anchor in the background, he’s just white noise

What’s it matter to her who’s elected?

She don’t care what the supreme court said

Gotta pick her up, read her a book, kiss scraped knees

Gonna spend lunch singing some ABCs

Talking bout roe vs wade, the token words we make

But she’s playing pirates with her sister, stealing a fortune

She ain’t got no fear of needing abortion

Birth control sounds like some kind of misfortune she’d cast

Dressed up as a witch, not yet some bitch

For wanting autonomy, for wanting real choice

Freedom from religion, yeah that’s just white noise

She’ll start school at five, at fifteen, she’ll learn to drive

She’ll do book reports, go to senior prom

No class for sex-ed, her rights are gone

Those are for the good ‘ol boys

She’s got ketchup, hula hoops, the little joys

Yeah, all the rest don’t matter, that’s just white noise

—

One more blow, one more fight, I’m laughing

I’m trying, keeping hope

Eroding slow, one more cause, one stand too long

Dinnertime politics, the latest Disney song

Please don’t let me get it wrong

Birthday parties, the electric bill was high

Listening to the news at work, surprised I’m not surprised

Booking dance classes, baking gluten-free

Writing works of fiction, thinking this is me

This is me, yeah yeah, this is me

—

My 10-year old chopped off her curls, spiked her hair

Rainbow flag unfurled, she says she’s queer

Wants validation, wants everyone to hear

Gen-Z don’t know fear

With pronouns clear, she says the struggle is over

But my job is to teach her, preach to her, how do I make it reach to her

Take away pride, make her feel, that across the whole country

You turn on the news, that’s no rainbow, that’s shades of blue hypocrisy

Slapped over the bigotry, no room for no leniency, she’s only ten

But if she don’t fight, she won’t have those rights, and already you see

Gay parents stripped from kids they raised, hazed, both sides unfazed

Do we protest, she asks?

Shit kid, I got bills to pay, turn on TV, watch some comedy

Could be the remedy, just pray it’s not one that bashes on the gays or the woke

Don’t worry, alphabet folks, it’s just a joke, don’t be so sensitive

Yeah, gay sure isn’t what people said

—

One more blow, one more fight, I’m laughing

I’m trying, keeping hope

Eroding slow, one more cause, one stand too long

Wednesday backyard slip-n-slide, history of genocide

My kids know all the textbooks lie

Anxious about holidays, running out of ice

Closing social media, surprised I’m still surprised

Reminders about homework, cutting limbs off a tree

Binging Modern Family, thinking this is me

This is me, yeah yeah, this is me

—

Another kid, near 15, so old, so wise

Swear words, sex jokes, rolling their eyes

They don’t like kid, that’s non-binary youth

Good for them, louder, louder, gotta speak the truth

They worry about the future, I feed them optimistic lies

But CNN comes on, they sit beside me, see me cry

They cry too, it’s all fine, they text me memes late at night

Mocking racists and politicians out spamming pro-life

I bring up college, they’ve got no interest in the interest

Yeah, guess they do tune in and listen

At dinner, cracking jokes, don’t say gay, red-state child brides

There’s laughter in their voice, but rebellion in their eyes

They vacuum their room, speech therapy on zoom

Spend their money on a rug, come ask me for a hug

Won’t buy corporate rainbows, teaches stonewall to their sisters

Tells every adult they know to go vote this November

Playing games, on a Discord call, telling friends to each the rich

Throw some bricks, yeah the country's gotta fall

—

One more blow, one more fight, I’m laughing

I’m trying, keeping hope

Eroding slow, one more cause, one stand too long

Preteen pushing passion, never standing down

Enby youth who won’t be silent, isn't bitter

Who will be the one to burn the system to the ground?

A giggling, dorky child, the smallest of my three

I hear her siblings protecting her future, I’m thinking this is me

This is me, yeah yeah, this is me

Thinking this is me, yeah yeah, this is me