In a short time

This will be a long time ago

And everything won’t make us so sad

Make us so green

Make us so black

In a short time

This will be a long time ago

And we’ll look back

And romanticize the natives

Who we once called savages

And we’ll forget

That they were slaughtered

That we slaughtered them

In a short time

This will be a long time ago

And we’ll say with dumb certainty

That these ways were always the ways

And just before we die

All the incoming grown-ups will roll their eyes

But will have no more wisdom

Than any other angry orphan

In a short time

This will be a long time ago