how many more have to die

how many more lives must be lost

how many more kids need to be afraid

to wake you from your drunken stupor

your imagined world of profits and success

where guns have more rights than women

and children are locked away because they cant pay up

and love is hated, forbidden, because of age old laws

wake up and look around

the schools should be safe

the homes should be safe

rights should be respected

my six year old brother comes to me at night

afraid and unsleeping

because he doesnt want to get shot

he's just a child

youve made all these problems that we now have to fix

you think your choices dont have consequences

youre partially right

you escape all the consequences of your actions

we have to pay the price

we have to console the crying children

we have to deny our sexuality, our love, in order to survive

we have to sacrifice our sanity, our mental health, in order to be good enough

to benefit the economy

to raise up society

meanwhile my peers are choosing death

and so did i

but if we die, then you win

if we die, then someone else will have to pay the price

but it still wont be you

so i'll keep living, fighting, breathing

i want to make a world where colors, toys, and clothes have no gender

where my children can love and live as children should

where every trace of you has been set alight

and burned from the memory of the earth

no more children will die in school

no more will love be hated

we will grow, we will change

and as we rise up, we will push you down

force you to look at our creation:

a world of peace, of love, of freedom

that you have no part in

we are survivors

we will survive