When the shepherd can’t whistle
and the sheep will not herd
The alarm couldn’t sound
and when nobody stirred
When the owner growls Sit!
and the dog won’t stay
The conductor drops the baton
and the orchestra won’t play
That’s when the revolution comes
When the piper can’t pipe
and the children won’t follow
When the lenders can not lend
and the borrowers won’t borrow
When the boss can’t say Jump
’cause the workers said No
When the cops can not stop us
and the march is all go
That’s when the revolution comes
When the rulers can’t rule
like they did in days of old
Because people are revolting
and they won’t do what they’re told
When the government’s not governing
and cracks become divisions
When we’ve made democracy our own
and we’re making the decisions
That’s when the revolution’s here
This poem will feature in An Assemblance of Judicious Heretics’ 2017 exhibition at Rochester Library. The theme of the exhibition is Revolution, and the poem will be accompanied by an artwork created in response to it.
