Used to be, we built not begged, 

Asked what we could give, not what we’d get. 

Sometimes, you come across someone who just speaks clearly, honestly, and with a healthy dose of common sense. This piece was inspired by a social media post of the same name by Michael McCune. I highly recommend checking him out and supporting his work if understanding what's happening in this country is important to you. Thank you, Michael, for being a voice of reason in an unreasonable era.

 “Can You Handle The Truth?” 

[Intro] 

[Verse 1] 

I wake with a prayer in the morning light, 

Whisper, “Lord, help me see what’s right.” 

This land I love feels lost and torn, 

And I ain’t sure what it’s fighting for. 

They say it’s politics, red and blue, 

But I see more — the soul of me and you. 

We’re talking loud, but listening less, 

The silence says what words repress. 

[Pre-Chorus] 

Tell me who we are when the truth gets blurred, 

When freedom bows to a clever word. 

You can call it comfort, you can call it peace — 

But the cost is higher than we believe. 

[Chorus] 

Can you handle the truth, America? 

When the lights cut out and the echoes fade? 

Can you stand your ground in the shifting sand, 

Or will comfort carry your voice away? 

Can you handle the truth, my brother? 

It’s not red, white, or shades of blue — 

If we can’t see what’s really happening, 

Then who’s defending who? 

[Verse 2] 

Used to be, we built not begged, 

Asked what we could give, not what we’d get. 

Now it’s anger served cold on every stage, 

Our hearts online, our souls in chains. 

They say it’s progress, I feel it’s loss, 

When the dream gets traded for the cost. 

And somewhere drifting in the storm, 

The flag we love has changed its form. 

[Pre-Chorus] 

It’s not hate to ask where we went wrong, 

It’s not love to blindly move along. 

These lines they draw — they cut too deep, 

And the truth they bury still won’t sleep. 

[Chorus] 

Can you handle the truth, America? 

Will you face what you don’t wanna see? 

It’s not about winning — it’s about staying free, 

And holding faith in liberty. 

Can you handle the truth, my sister? 

’Cause the cracks run through me too — 

We can’t pray change into being, 

If we don’t believe it’s true. 

[Bridge] 

Oh, the truth don’t shout — it whispers sad, 

It’s the echo of the hope we had. 

No tanks, no bombs, no midnight call, 

Just silence — as the standards fall. 

Do you see the cost of every lie? 

When the brave fall mute and justice dies? 

If freedom breaks once, it won’t return — 

That’s the warning every heart must learn. 

[Final Chorus] 

Can you handle the truth, America? 

Can you look your children in the eye? 

Say you stood your ground when it meant something, 

Say you spoke while others lied. 

Can you handle the truth, my people? 

It’s the mirror staring back at you — 

Our story’s not done, our song’s not through, 

But only if we see it through. 

[Outro] 

So I ask you plain, like neighbor to friend, 

When the moment breaks, will you bend? 

The truth don’t beg — it just waits for you. 

Can you handle it… can you handle the truth?

This is original work is produced by AK Darvinson with a combination of observation, critical thinking, insight, heart, compassion, passion, creativity, and technology. All rights are reserved. Free sharing is encouraged. Commercial use via license only.