{"id":6322,"date":"2025-08-29T11:12:47","date_gmt":"2025-08-29T18:12:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/?p=6322"},"modified":"2025-08-29T11:14:33","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T18:14:33","slug":"at-crossroads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/?p=6322","title":{"rendered":"At Crossroads"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Are we at crossroads in America?
Have we sold our soul to the devil
Everyone sings the blues at one time or another
Sister, brother, mother, father.

Let us not say that we are so weak
that we have lost our minds
and fell asleep.

Can we see through the illusions
Freedom, opportunity, democracy
holds the vital key to our existence
for all humanity.

Dare I even think about what hope
is in America
People live between worlds 
of frontiers of darkness and light
yet aspires us all 
to get past the bullets of death
that are hurled our way.

Let us remember that opportunity is freedom
to choose, to vote, to voice
the power of the people.

Our liberty must not die in oppression
our liberty must carry the flame
to enjoy and pursue
the individual's right 
to work and to live.

Written by Inge Schultz
First Published at Curious Existence website 2024
<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Are we at crossroads in America?
\nHave we sold our soul to the devil
\nEveryone sings the blues at one time or another
\nSister, brother, mother, father.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":183104177,"featured_media":6326,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"Explore the crossroads of America as we confront freedom and opportunity, embracing hope amidst darkness in this thought-provoking piece.","jetpack_seo_html_title":"Finding Hope Amidst America\u2019s Crossroads: A Call for Freedom","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1922],"tags":[1932,1924],"class_list":["post-6322","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-poetry-blog","tag-at-crossroads","tag-inge-schultz"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pdKBXs-1DY","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2940,"url":"https:\/\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/?p=2940","url_meta":{"origin":6322,"position":0},"title":"Shepherd of Love","author":"Inge Schultz","date":"February 13, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Shepherd of Love is a song about the shepherd taking care of the herd of sheep up in the hills. Sheep are guided by the shepherd to walk and find green pastures to feed upon and rest.","rel":"","context":"In "Ballad"","block_context":{"text":"Ballad","link":"https:\/\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/?cat=1915"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/two-sheeps.webp?fit=1180%2C787&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/two-sheeps.webp?fit=1180%2C787&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/two-sheeps.webp?fit=1180%2C787&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/two-sheeps.webp?fit=1180%2C787&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/two-sheeps.webp?fit=1180%2C787&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2864,"url":"https:\/\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/?p=2864","url_meta":{"origin":6322,"position":1},"title":"Blue Bird","author":"Inge Schultz","date":"April 12, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Get your foot moving with the birds on this delightful, relaxing Latin Jazz composition. This composition features bird calls from the Mixfood Ambi Nature sounds plugin. This wonderful 17-track composition uses rich synth sounds, congas, and harps to create the Latin-jazz mood. 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This is Inge's first fully digital soundtrack. It was created using Reason Studios software. Instruments within the software are selected to play on the keyboard to create the sounds.","rel":"","context":"In "Ambient"","block_context":{"text":"Ambient","link":"https:\/\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/?cat=1919"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/whale-jumping-.webp?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/whale-jumping-.webp?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/whale-jumping-.webp?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3261,"url":"https:\/\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/?p=3261","url_meta":{"origin":6322,"position":3},"title":"Lasting Love","author":"Inge Schultz","date":"January 29, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Lasting Love is Inge's first composition she wrote in 1975. In the fall of 1974, Inge's senior year at Kent Meridian High School in Kent, Washington, she traded her faithful clarinet in at Green River Music for a classical guitar.","rel":"","context":"In "Ballad"","block_context":{"text":"Ballad","link":"https:\/\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/?cat=1915"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/bleeding-hearts.webp?fit=1180%2C924&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/bleeding-hearts.webp?fit=1180%2C924&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/bleeding-hearts.webp?fit=1180%2C924&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/bleeding-hearts.webp?fit=1180%2C924&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/bleeding-hearts.webp?fit=1180%2C924&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6596,"url":"https:\/\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/?p=6596","url_meta":{"origin":6322,"position":4},"title":"The Bells Are Ringing -Released 11\/26\/2019","author":"Inge Schultz","date":"December 6, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A lovely, magical musical composition for all ages to enjoy. Just imagine a wonderful sleigh ride in the snow, and the bells are ringing, as you take a journey into a winter wonderland. If you love Mannheim Steamroller, you will love this magical composition of Inge's. It's simply delightful, fun,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Holiday"","block_context":{"text":"Holiday","link":"https:\/\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/?cat=1757"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/horse-bell.jpg?fit=875%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/horse-bell.jpg?fit=875%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/horse-bell.jpg?fit=875%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/horse-bell.jpg?fit=875%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6057,"url":"https:\/\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/?p=6057","url_meta":{"origin":6322,"position":5},"title":"All for Coffee","author":"Inge Schultz","date":"July 13, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"When is it time for coffee? Anytime, and some toffee How about some French roast","rel":"","context":"In "Poetry"","block_context":{"text":"Poetry","link":"https:\/\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/?cat=1922"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/all-for-coffee.webp?fit=1024%2C759&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/all-for-coffee.webp?fit=1024%2C759&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/all-for-coffee.webp?fit=1024%2C759&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/all-for-coffee.webp?fit=1024%2C759&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/liberty.webp?fit=1200%2C1126&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6322","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/183104177"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6322"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6322\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6330,"href":"https:\/\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6322\/revisions\/6330"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6326"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6322"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6322"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ingeschultzmusic.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6322"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}