One Of The Enemy

(This song was suggested to me by a high school teacher who said
that being unable to defend homosexuality makes him feel like he
is "one of the oppressors" in the eyes of his gay and lesbian
students. the enemy is everyone, gay or straight, who passively
supports oppression by their silence.)
Every day I go to work
I'm there to teach integrity
But how can I teach anything
With a closet door in front of me
'Cause when I look out at the faces
One or two see through the lies
And when I look right back at them
I see the pain of my own youth in their eyes
And it breaks my heart
And it makes me feel ashamed to wear this mask
Each day from 8 to 3
I can't reach out
To the ones who need a friend
So I must pretend to be
One of the enemy
Every year a hundred faces
Staring blindly up at me
How I want to tell the truth
Instead of teaching history
But for job security
I don't dare say a word
And so my good intentions fade
And my thoughts of love are left unheard
And it hurts my pride
And I hate to have to hide myself away
Each day from 8 to 3
I can't reach out
To the ones who need a friend
So I must pretend to be
One of the enemy
To the boys who leave the girls behind
To the girls with more than boyfriends
On their minds
I can't reach out
To the ones who need a friend
So I must pretend to be
I must pretend
Maybe someday I'll find a way
(Some day soon I'll find a way)
To comfort them (to calm their fears)
And let them know that things will change
If they can make it through these years