Are You Now
(Or Have You Ever Been)?
©2007 Gibbens/Weston

They chose to treat me gently,
And I’m thankful for small mercies,
Till they took away my privilege
And the officer in shirt-sleeves
Shone a light into my face:
Tell me, if you want to leave this place,
Are you now or have you ever been?

They chose to treat me gently for a while
Till the questioner unbent his friendly smile
Into a straight line, narrow, hard and mean:
Are you now or have you ever been?
Are you now or have you ever been?

I didn’t have a place to go
When they put me on the street.
They said, Keep out of the firing line
If you cannot stand the heat.
I got up onto my feet
And I asked the tumbling skies,
Are you now or have you ever been?

I haven’t got a place to run or hide
And I heard that you were on the loser’s side.
And the thunder spoke and the lightning flashed unseen:
Are you now or have you ever been?
Are you now or have you ever been?

The clouds closed down the sun
Like the waves close over a man
And the wind tore down the street
And the rain of error began.
I begin to feel the pressure.
I stand alone without an answer.
Are you now or have you ever been?

They’re counting out the casualties
And turning up the power
And the children of the dark war
Face their coldest hour,
And if we’re born to die,
Is there anything between?
Are you now or have you ever been?
Are you now or have you ever been?

Know that I am
And that I was
And will always be.
I am,
Who Moses asked to name.
I am.
I am.
I am.

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