WE ARE STILL HERE

They told us who to fear again

They told us who to blame

They tried to turn our neighbors into numbers and into names

They said “Don’t look, don’t speak, don’t help, just stay in line”

But love is not a weakness

And we are not confined

So if they close the doors, we make a doorway in the street

If they cut the lights, we learn to shine without the heat

If they say “obey,” we take each other’s trembling hands

And we remember who we are

We are still here

We are still kind

We are the hands that won’t untie

We are the voice in the quiet

The spark in the smoke

And we will not leave anyone behind

They can take our comfort

They can’t take our care

We are still here

They built their walls out of policies

And called it “keeping peace”

But peace without a heartbeat is just silence in the streets

They tried to make compassion feel illegal to our bones

So we became a shelter

In a million living rooms

And if they steal the truth, we say it louder, plain and clear

If they threaten us with fear, we pull each other closer here

If they say “submit,” we stand together where we stand

And we remember who we are

We are still here

We are still kind

We are the hands that won’t untie

We are the voice in the quiet

The spark in the smoke

And we will not leave anyone behind

They can take our comfort

They can’t take our care

We are still here

No one is disposable

No child is collateral

No neighbor is an enemy

No body is a battlefield

So take your lies and uniforms

We’ve seen what you become

When all you worship is control

And we still choose love

We are still here

We are still kind

We are the hands that won’t untie

We are the voice in the quiet

The spark in the smoke

And we will not leave anyone behind

They can take our comfort

They can’t take our care

We are still here

(We are still here)