Stand up
Stand up and be counted
Count my blessings
As I lay my head to rest
Thankful for the pillow
To which my face is gently pressed
I reflect upon the choices of my day
The fears I evade
And the bricks I have laid
As I drift into my sleep
I compose a tribute to the brave
Stand up
We forget at times
Its an easy road we walk
Chiselled over decades
They valued action over talk
For Martin set the bar when he
Dreamt his dream
And Rosa stood her ground
Sitting firmly in her seat
Stand up and be counted
When facing injustice
And we fear we stand alone
Remember the same makings
Are in the seedling to the oak
And the brave stand with us
When we fly the flag they've flown
Stand up and be counted
When handed opportunity
Let's not squander what they've gained
Ignorance and apathy
Should not be the poor man's game
Stand up and be counted
Stand up and be counted
Rest not on your laurels
Stand tall to break the fall
Of yourself and others
Be not complacent about
Historical victories and their causal relation
To current place, status and dreams
Give thanks to formidable slaves
Great dames who paved the way for you and me
Do you honestly believe
We should've earned the right to vote
Speak freely and breathe
A divine right in the mind's eye
For which they had to bleed?
More and more of us
Are glad for the opportunity
To stand up and be counted
Stand up and be
Its never easy to swim against the tide
The sea of inequality
Cannot be crossed in a stride
Today is nothing but missed chances
Privileged stances, silenced answers
Un-cast votes, misquotes and scapegoats
Status quo upheld by banknotes
Stand up and be counted