A Poem and A Song

The Tension and the Thread

We gather in the quiet dusk

And dream of what is yet to be,

Of cities paved with golden trust,

And hearts unchained, and spirits free.

But dreamers wake to dust and thorn,

Where voices clash and tempers flare,

Where stones must first be bruised and torn

Before the path is smooth and fair.

Some kneel and pray for skies to clear,

Some rise and work with shaking hands,

And in that tension—faith and fear—

Is where the soul learns how to stand.

Oh, Zion is not stitched with ease,

But with a thread both firm and kind.

It binds not just our hopes and pleas,

But what we do—with what’s in our mind.

So build, or wait, or speak, or weep—

But do it with a heart aware:

That love is not afraid to leap,

And peace is not just silent air.

Our family loves this song—it’s kind of a tradition. We sing it on just about every road trip. It never gets old! My favorite part is the third rap verse—the way it captures the weight of the world, the disillusionment, and that deep, aching longing for unity and love.

Honestly, I’ve gotten pretty good at rapping it… at least for a middle-aged white woman.

But beyond being a catchy tune, the message lands hard—especially after sitting with the themes my poem. Both wrestle with the tension between hope and heartache, between what is and what could be. Both ask us to care enough to do something.

So if you made it this far, maybe take a few minutes to listen. The thread of love is worth following.