For Patrick

For me, life is good, indeed, at its best when someone you least expect comes into your life and illuminates it with important, deep and valuable conversation that leaves you thinking anew.

Disclaimer: What follows is a "This I Believe" moment meant to communicate a grandiose idea that is not my own but rested from a restless soul recently departed from my daily life. Making his way in the world not yet broken in by societal norms still in hot pursuit of the dream, elusive as it were, with his own set of truths a guiding light tinged in dickesh cynicism, pure in heart or at least the truth as it were laid out by life experience, wit and wisdom. Therefore this is an acknowledgement to that affect, an attempt to communicate appreciation, love and hope for living the dream. Here I simply hope to pay homage to what has been a good thing for me.

I never really thought much of Bob Dylan(a comment meant to insight anger or at least a response). But what I mean to say is that I did not dislike him, anyone who has a reasonable sense of musicians as artists has only to listen to "Like a Rolling Stone" once to appreciate his genius. Perhaps it is better to say that I never thought much ABOUT his importance as a torch bearer as a progressive counter cultural critic and social commentator. So I followed it up and indeed I found you to be correct. First, that hippies were the worst, least credible/most damaging, thing that could have happened to the American progressive movement. Second, that Bob Dylan has much to say that is important and timeless. So as you depart a history lesson from the man and the hopeful knowledge imparted by the title.

"With God On Our Side"

Oh my name it is nothin'
My age it means less
The country I come from
Is called the Midwest
I's taught and brought up there
The laws to abide
And the land that I live in
Has God on its side.

Oh the history books tell it
They tell it so well
The cavalries charged
The Indians fell
The cavalries charged
The Indians died
Oh the country was young
With God on its side.

The Spanish-American
War had its day
And the Civil War too
Was soon laid away
And the names of the heroes
I's made to memorize
With guns on their hands
And God on their side.

The First World War, boys
It came and it went
The reason for fighting
I never did get
But I learned to accept it
Accept it with pride
For you don't count the dead
When God's on your side.

When the Second World War
Came to an end
We forgave the Germans
And then we were friends
Though they murdered six million
In the ovens they fried
The Germans now too
Have God on their side.

I've learned to hate Russians
All through my whole life
If another war comes
It's them we must fight
To hate them and fear them
To run and to hide
And accept it all bravely
With God on my side.

But now we got weapons
Of the chemical dust
If fire them we're forced to
Then fire them we must
One push of the button
And a shot the world wide
And you never ask questions
When God's on your side.

In a many dark hour
I've been thinkin' about this
That Jesus Christ
Was betrayed by a kiss
But I can't think for you
You'll have to decide
Whether Judas Iscariot
Had God on his side.

So now as I'm leavin'
I'm weary as Hell
The confusion I'm feelin'
Ain't no tongue can tell
The words fill my head
And fall to the floor
If God's on our side
He'll stop the next war.