Caleb sat on a park bench
On a little piece of grass downtown
Singing to the pigeons
‘Til the sun went down
If you’d’ve sat beside him
Careful not to disturb Caleb’s pigeons
And you’ll lean in
You might’ve heard of the words
He sang
“No more talk of separation
No more western tax revolts
I don’t wanna hear no more
Arguments against or for gun control
Or the young offenders act
I want love and compassion
Sunshine on my face
No more turning from our neighbours
Like they were strangers
From some distant place”
We’ve got plenty to be proud of
And equal to be ashamed
A beer commercial don’t make a nation
Culture won’t be bought or framed
Sure, Leonard Cohen,
He was born here
But so was Shatner
He’s not as often claimed
We clear land mines,
But also sometimes,
Beat up Somali teens
And keep the Polaroids’
One day, they found Caleb
Frozen statue in the snow
Eyes fixed on the horizon
Arms outstretched to the morning glow
And it’s been years now
Since that morning
Still today I swear I heard the strangest thing
From a playground
Children laughing
I thought I heard them sing
They sang:
“No more talk of separation
No more western tax revolts
We don’t wanna hear no more
Arguments against or for gun control
Or the young offenders act
We want love and compassion
Sunshine on our faces
No more turning from our neighbours
Like they were strangers
From some distant place”
Lyrics Submitted by Georji