Songs for Our Journey 44

I wrote this song in 1994 after hearing a South African man and woman being interviewed on the radio. They were standing in line waiting to vote in the first free South African elections. The man said, "That this has finally happened in my lifetime, I am filled with joy, like a dreaming child." The woman followed, "We only know what has gone before, we can't say what's coming now."  

I was struck by the balance between the visionary and the practical, even skeptical.  Perhaps that balance is what is needed to create change.  
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June 13, 2020
In the Georgia primaries this week people stood for 4, 5, 6 hours, many of them wearing masks, to cast their votes during the pandemic. And Republicans in Iowa want to rescind universal voting by mail after the highest ever primary turnout thanks to universal voting by mail.

It seems like it's time to sing this song again.  

May we vote out the people who do not want everyone to vote, towards the day when we will finally have truly democratic elections in the USA.  Love, Kathleen

Count My Heart
© K Hannan 1994

"That this should finally happen in my lifetime,
I am filled with joy, like a dreaming child."
"We only know what has gone before, 
can't say what is coming now."

But this has finally happened in our lifetime
We are filled with joy, like the mountainside
So we stand in line
​Thousands at a time
To be counted

Count my heart, which is beating
Count my eyes, which are open
Count my children, my sisters, my brothers
whose hearts were once beating
Their voices once sang with us
Their spirits will always sing

Their spirits will always sing
Freedom is coming....  Freedom is coming
Freedom is coming....  Freedom is coming
Freedom is coming we paid with our lives
Because no one gives freedom away

Freedom is coming....  Freedom is coming
Freedom is coming....  Freedom is coming
Freedom is coming, we're coming to take it
'Cause no one gives freedom away
Because no one gives freedom way