Lyrics In Perspective - The Riot Before

In Perspective

Far away across an ocean in a distant foreign land
A face is falling off from poison on an every aging man
And in the cracks and creases of the flesh a light goes out a constitution dies
By a fire in a forest a soldier sits holding a gun
In a village a young mother cries while looking at her son
Because while he sleeps and dreams so peacefully outside the enemy has arrived
And on the side of a bomb falling
Is my name penned to read left from right
In the street there is barbed wire from an unjust occupation
In the air a rocket’s fired and it feeds the desperation
Of a people pushed so far against the wall there is no escape to see
In a city’s crowded market an explosion brings despair
The people pack the streets holding high fists and coffins in the air
The reporter calmly calls one terrorist the former thought out strategy
And on that day in another season
A starving child forever closes his brown eyes
Here I sit with stomach full there’s peace and quiet on my street
In my closet there are clothes I have shoes tied onto my feet
I’m embarrassed by my sadness all because my hand’s empty
This is my cry throughout the world this is my apology
So I offer up my hand in all its barren readiness
And I offer up my voice and its origins in my chest
Help me give all that I can in spite of my unwillingness
Push me forwards toward compassion and away from selfishness