I'm A Free Man Or I'm Nothing Poem by David Welch

Julio was born in Guadalajara,
and waited for years to leave.
Got his visa and moved to Dakota
to work in the oil fields.

Some folks in suits came up to him,
to cheer illegal voices.
He scoffed and said he didn't care,
those people made their choices.

They heard his accent and they puzzled,
they thought that he was bluffing.
He threw them out and raised the cry:
‘I'm a free man, or I'm nothing! '
-
Eric was born a city fellow,
he was tall and dark of skin.
He saw the stores flee one by one,
no work left there for him.

He would not take a hand-out, no,
nor let someone else provide,
he knew too well the slow decay
of a person without pride.

Some cried ‘Uncle Tom' the day he left
and set about to angry huffing,
but on his porch Eric painted proud:
‘I'm a free man, or I'm nothing.'
-
Mark was born in old San Fran,
and found his tastes turn to men,
but he hated taxes and being told
what to do by the government.

Two people who liked to wear black,
saw these thoughts as a heresy.
They tracked down Mark to have a ‘talk, '
to let him know how things would be.

But when they set upon the man
to beat from him his stuffing,
Mark thrashed them both while he cried:
‘I'm a free man, or I'm nothing! '
-
Aaron was once known as Ahkmed,
until teenage doubts grew louder.
He walked away to find his truth,
to find peace unlike no other.

Some took not kindly to his act,
they raised the cry of ‘apostate! '
Proclaimed for this that he must die,
on that there was no debate.

But when they came upon his gun
and their knees, they started buckling,
the final worlds they ever heard:
‘You're a free man, or you're nothing…'