Stand

I pledge allegiance to the united states of America

And to the republic for which it stands

For which I stand

I stand for justice, for freedom, for you and you and you

I have a name, therefore I exist,

And therefore I stand

Stand for the sake of standing

Because sitting makes your bum hurt

Stand because sitting is too easy

Stand because these boots are made for walking

Stand, stand up

Stand because sitters are quitters

And therefore aren’t worth the existence they’ve been granted

Stand because you’re hungry for being

The twin towers were knocked down by terrorists

And for them we stand

They were not brought down by muslims, the middle east, iraq, or by evil men

They were brought down by fellow humans,

Who, despite their severe disagreement

Do not know the meaning of constructive criticism

Stand for anyone who cannot stand for themselves

Stand if you can’t stand sitting idlely any longer

For these things, stand

Stand because you can, stand because it is the very nature of standing

That makes standing worth it

I stand for something

And you should stand because standing is in our nature

We walk upright

Like your opposable thumbs, use them

I stand mostly for the sake of standing

To say that I did when so many of you choose not to

I stand because I’m aware of my strength

And I’m aware of our strength in numbers

I stand so that you have to look up to me unless you decide to stand too

I stand for living

I dance like no one is watching;

Even when they are

I sing to myself on the train

Because god damn it, I just don’t give a fuck

But the truth is that I do,

I just care about a rather different set of ideals

I care about being and not following

Because that is in the nature of standing

Sleep is the cousin of death,

And sitting is the cousin of lying down which is the cousin of sleep

So sitting and death are like 5th cousins 8 times removed

And that relation is still too close for me

I want every year to be my year

Which entails standing to fulfill the living obligation of standing

Dare you question me,

And you will find yourself standing horizontally in a pine box

But be proud, at least you'd be standing

© 2008 Eugene Aarons-Cooke