Hope and Fear

 

hope:

I am hope.

 

fear:

And I am fear.

 

both:

And we both live

so close, so near.

In this life

you get to choose.

In some ways you win

and some ways you lose.

When you make your choice

and you make it clear

then these are some things

that you just might hear.

 

fear:

Put down that stick!

It will put your eye out!

 

hope:

Come on now kids!

Let’s run, play and shout.

 

fear:

Don’t touch that thing.

It is oh so dirty.

 

hope:

Come here and touch

this pretty birdie.

 

fear:

Don’t eat that food.

You know that it’s too rich.

 

hope:

I love this taste!

It’s my favorite sandwich.

 

fear:

It’s a big bad world

and this I know.

Because I saw it all

on the Oprah show.

 

both:

We are hope

and we are fear.

And we both live

so close, so near.

In this life

you get to choose.

In some ways you win

and some ways you lose.

 

fear:

If you must go out

and be in the sun.

Make sure that you use

an SPF nine hundred one.

Sure, you will look

like a greasy albino.

But you never can be

too safe you know.

 

hope:

Let’s go run.

And let’s go play.

Let’s go out and

enjoy the day!

Let’s go out

and climb the trees.

We can smell the air

and feel the breeze.

It’s a big nice world.

And this I know

because I saw it all

on the Oprah show.

 

both:

We are hope

and we are fear.

And we both live

just oh so near.

In this life

you get to choose.

In some ways you win

and some ways you lose.

We both know

that it must be so.

Because we saw it all

on the Oprah show.

 

fear:

Underneath my bed,

my bed of gloom

It is oh so tight.

I need more room.

Here is what I am going to do.

I’ll go get myself another bed or two.

Then I’ll line them up, all side by side.

It will give me

so much more room to hide.

 

hope:

Breathe the air

Don’t despair.

Seek the joy

Everywhere.

 

fear:

Now I got me

a great big plasma screen.

And from here under bed

I can see big scary scenes.

If I get too scared

I’ll play a scene from Yellowstone.

And then it’s just like I live

in a whole new time zone.

From here under bed

that pretty scene will greet me.

And I know that I’m safe

and the bears won’t eat me.
High up near the top

of my big bad scary list

is the oh so scary

big bad terrorist

I keep the alert

up on my plasma screen

And now my fear level

is set at tangerine.

 

both:

We are hope

and we are fear.

And we both live

oh so near.

We both know

that it must be so.

Because we saw it all

on the Oprah show.

 

hope:

Fear nation,

prostration

causation

fear fixation,

fear dictation.

 

fear:

More plastic

More duct tape

Big bad world

No escape.

 

hope:

Breathe the air.

Don’t despair.

Seek the hope

everywhere.

 

fear:

If I must fly

and I bring shampoo

this is the thing

I always must do

I don’t take it all,

I’ll just take a bit.

And this is what

I do with it.

I put it there in a plastic bag

 

hope:

Fear you always nag, nag, nag.

 

fear:

Hope you’re such a big dumb fool

I am fear and believe in magic rules.

Only the right size bag will pass inspection.

And the right size bag gives the most protection.

I am fear I have no need of Liberty.

Better to be too safe than live free.

I have sent nearly all of my brave

far across the ocean wave.

While here at home I live in fear.

It’s just so comfy under here.

 

Fear hypnosis.

Mass neurosis.

Mass psychosis.

 

both:

We are hope

and we are fear.

And we both live

so close, so near.

In this life

you get to choose.

In some ways you win

and some ways you lose.

When you make your choice

and you make it clear

then those are some things

that you just might hear.

But now time is short

and we must go

because it’s almost time

for the Oprah show.

 

 

 

Old Yankee:

Climb the tree.

Do you see

a nation free?

Want to cope?

Choose the hope.