Even You

Even You
Words & Music by Tom Prasada-Rao 4/22/20

You hold up your protest sign
It feels like the end of times
It’s looking real tough tonight
In the land of the free
It’s right on my Facebook feed
All there for the world to read
And my heart starts to bleed
So this is from me

Whoever you are
Whatever you’ve done
It’s nothing that you
Can’t overcome
Whatever it is
You’re still going through
Even so, even now, even you

The world makes us enemies
That’s not who you are to me
And I will still believe
We could be friends
I’m sure that you’re struggling now
You know I am too, and how
So let’s make a simple vow
It’s not how this ends

Whoever you are
Whatever you’ve done
It’s nothing that you
Can’t overcome
Whatever it is
You’re still going through
Even so, even now, even you

When it’s impossible to right the wrong
There’s still a refuge where we both belong
And wherever that is - we’ll make it through
Even so, even now, even you
Even so, even me, even you

April 22, 2020, Silver Spring MD

To the unnamed person at an anti social-networking protest (4/20/20 in Nashville), holding a sign that read “Sacrifice the Weak - Reopen TN”--

I started writing, horrified and indignant, but that quickly turned to sadness. I wondered who you’d have to be to hold up a sign like that, what must you be going through? I remembered signs I have hoisted over the years, and I resolved to give you the benefit of doubt ...