John Samuel Tieman: By the Rivers of Babylon

in the days of Trump

we played a little jazz

and the fascists

.

thought they were cool

so they asked us to play

something old school

.

but how do we sing 

the old songs

if we forget the poetry

.

the newspapers

the protests in which we cried

this is what democracy looks like

.

if we forget these freedoms

let our tongues and lips wither

let our lyrics turn to twitter rants

.

but the fascists asked

for a song

so here’s some old school blues

.

happy is he who treats Trump

as Trump treated the immigrant

happy is he who builds 

.

the wall

that leaves Trump

on the side with the desert

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Psalm 137 King James Version (KJV)

137 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.² We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.³ For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.⁴ How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?⁵ If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.⁶ If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.⁷ Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.⁸ O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.⁹ Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.

.

And my favorite version of Psalm 137 —

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Poem and compilation copyright 2019 John Samuel Tieman