At Move to Amend, we believe that creativity is a powerful tool for change. The arts —poetry, music, visual art, and literature — have always been integral to every social movement in this country and beyond. From the resistance of past generations to today’s battles against corporate rule, artists have led the charge in inspiring others to stand up for justice, equity, sustainability and democracy.
The fight against corporate personhood and the corrupting influence of money in politics is deeply connected to the power of art. Through various forms of expression, we aim to expose the impact of big money in elections and corporate influence on our democratic processes. Whether through songs, films, poetry, or literature, artists are helping to shine a light on the dangers of corporate rule, and how it affects every aspect of our lives.
We’ve begun assembling an “art collection” of poems, music, literature, and films. This list is just the beginning.
To mark World Poetry Day, below are two poems from Move to Amend supporters, plus a poetic song on the corrupting influence of money in politics.
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The Corporate Coup & The People's Stand
Bryson Cline (16 years old)
They bought the elections, they silenced the poor,
Stacked up their profits and on our backs that are sore.
A government stolen, its power misused,
By hands that see people as tools to be used.
Laws for the wealthy, deals made in smoke,
A system where justice is nothing but a joke.
They call it free speech, but dollars decide,
Whose voice will be heard, whose rights denied.
Yet in the shadows, a movement ignites,
Rising like dawn, reclaiming our rights.
No longer will money determine our fate,
The people unite before it’s too late.
The We the People Amendment stands bold,
A promise of freedom that cannot be sold.
No more shall corporations pretend to be men,
Their rule must end—Move to Amend!
They call it democracy, but we see the game,
Where money buys power and justice is maimed.
Corporations whisper, their pockets run deep,
Drowning out voices, making laws cheap.
But people are rising, their voices are strong,
A movement is building, we’ve waited too long.
From cities to towns, we take the pen,
Demanding real change—Move to Amend!
From cities to towns, the message will spread,
A government truly by people, instead.
We rally, we fight, we take back our land,
For a future where justice is ours to command.
So stand with us now, make your voice known,
Sign the petition, let seeds of change be sown.
The tide is shifting, the people defend,
Together we rise—Move to Amend!
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"Birth of We, The People" poem
Gus Speth
"If we could restart the US of A,}
where then would we begin
to give the clock new spin
and take the role creators play?
We will mainly focus on the Founders
and their badly flawed creation,
the much-revered Constitution.
On it the country nearly founders.
To start, there will be no first sin.
Humans will not be slaves.
Our story better then behaves,
so much evil gone with the wind.
Our democracy very nearly dies
when states not people vote.
It’s time for us to now demote
the not-so-great Great Compromise.
The Electoral College must also go.
The popular vote is ignored.
The People once again get gored.
To that, our new democracy says no.
All this is made worse when corporations
are “people” and their money “speech.”
They now have extraordinary reach,
matching the power of ordinary nations.
The Commerce Clause must be rethought.
It can block community action
and easily undermine local traction.
Our priority cannot be to have things bought.
It is odd that states control elections.
The foundation of national government
easily shaken by corrupt state ferment.
We’ll make a new deal for voters’ selections.
We will enshrine the right to privacy,
making it explicit in our new document.
There, it would be the Choice complement
to all the other rights we see.
The right of individuals to carry a gun
wasn’t there, until in 2008 the Court said yes.
We will reclaim gun control from this mess
and return our streets to having fun.
We humans invented having rights,
but gave them all to ourselves.
Omitting “rights of nature” compels
action to correct the oversight.
We know we can’t start America again.
It is a day dream that comes to this end.
But there is much that we can mend
if together we make history bend.
For our democracy’s shortfalls
there are now work arounds.
We can get to better ground,
bursting new and ancient walls.
Government of, by, and for the people,
that is the essence of democracy,
the meaning of popular sovereignty,
the bright light in the steeple."
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Song: End the Corruption
Sharon Abreu
CHORUS:
End the corruption,
End the temptation,
It's up to us
To save the nation.
End the corruption,
End the temptation,
It's up to us
To save the nation.
Get -- the big money out,
-- Put integrity in, --
Secure -- the elections,
Then let the voting begin! – CHORUS
Feel-good myths, they cloud our eyes.
The truth hurts - but we die with lies.
Do we ignore our people’s cries?
Or do we - ALL the people rise? CHORUS
Here is what we want to see:
Democracy for you and me.
Ranked Choice Voting,
A paper trail,
Those who cheat – put them in jail. CHORUS
If we can’t vote, what have we got?
If our votes don’t count, our country’s shot.
Feels so hopeless, but it’s not
Tho’ we gotta go deep to cure the rot---
In the system. CHORUS
Who is writin’ that legislation?
Sounds like goons from a big corporation
How’d that public servant turn a millionaire?
It’s time for us to get our share. CHORUS
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Submit Your Own Creative Work
Do you have a poem, song, artwork, or any other form of creative expression that supports the movement to end corporate rule? We invite your contribution to the cause! Whether it’s in celebration of World Poetry Day or in response to current events, your creative resistance is an essential part of the effort to create democracy for all!
Send your submission to [email protected].
Onward toward creating art in all its forms for authentic democracy!
Alfonso, Jason, Tara, Cole, George, Daniel, Kelsey, D'Yale, Jennie, Keyan, Michael, Katie, Hanaan, Cat & Greg
