The Indoctrination ( or, shall I say )

Shall I say, I have gone at dawn, through littered streets
Watched the steam rising from city grates
Through the eyes of homeless men
Finding warmth where they can
Somehow still standing tall and proud of these United States
I think I can, I know I must, for other men I know and trust
The banner brave, the whores are too, the late night lust
It pays the bills, and completes
The Indoctrination
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Shall I say, a man is nothing right to his face, to start him working
Or do I bathe this very same man, give him tools to understand
That his country has not forgotten, him, or others like him
Take his hand, be his friend for real, and listen to him
His entire story, and not just
The indoctrination of him
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Shall I say, I love my country or do I debate
With angry words that accomplish nothing
Or do I stand up, give hard each day
Become the example,
Lending a hand, to anyone, no matter what
Doing the filthy work, of foul mouthed men
Who write the rules
Of Indoctrination
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Or shall I say, I love my country, damn straight I can
For I'm a man that love's his brothers
I'm a man who's been taught by his sisters
But mostly, I speak of, the kind of men
Who struggle each day
Some sleep on grates,
And pass on honor to one another
Each and every day,
You could say, I love my country
But most of all,
I Love her children.....

Tony Taylor