Our crime was anarchy.

Ignoring laws,

building fires,

blocking streets,

shouting, “NO! NO!

in the market place.

We climbed their walls,

threw stones at their houses,

sat at their gates

and would not budge

our hearts and minds.

Again and again

their soldiers came

to drag us by our hair to dungeons,

but could not keep us there.

We were their sons and daughters,

but had no homes.

We could not pledge allegiance to their flag,

could not obey the laws of men

who ruled like gods,

oppressive and indifferent,

a nation built on genocide,

on slavery,

on conquering other lands

and bleeding poison into our rivers.

No! was our crime.

Our punishment

surrendering to obedience,

pretending to say Yes!

forced to live a quiet, desperate life,

ignoring the urge for something more

than dinner, wine and comfort.

Some of us crossed the sea

and left for forests and the wilderness

to breath fresh air,

and build our simple homes on common ground

where honesty was king,

where love was queen,

where borders disappeared

and the heart was the only nation.

Some took root in this new land

and we grew our families there.

Some found they had too much to learn

and overcome to have their dream

of paradise survive.

Some were lost,

wandering in a wilderness,

drunk and drugged,

broken spirits

stumbling toward oblivion,

searching for a place

where they could dream again.

Some got fat and numb

from swallowing delicious meat

and sat back on their pillows,

half asleep,

forgetting who they were

when they were lean

and full of fire.

Some walked the halls of palaces,

looking from their windows

at the streets where once they shouted NO!

Some stood in their rooms looking at themselves

in mirrors, mumbling words they could not say,

whispering to themselves,

nodding, remembering.

Some listened when I said,

“Security is the enemy of the people,”

and off we sailed to distant shores

pilgrims searching for a promised land somewhere,

a place to turn new paths into the street

where we could stand,

hold hands

and pledge allegiance to the flag of peace

and not repeat the history we despised.

Oh stars, if saying NO! is the crime they claim,

then I accept this hill, this stone, this shame.