In fourteen hundred ninety-two
Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

He had three ships and left from Spain;
On his way to cause destruction and pain.

He sailed by night; he sailed all day;
The start of the native peoples' decay.

A compass also helped him know,
But just because you can, doesn't mean you should go.

Ninety sailors were on board;
Carrying smallpox, measles, and swords.

Then the workers went to sleep;
Dreaming of a country to reap.

Day after day they looked for land;
Even if it wasn't the land that they planned.

October 12 their dream came true,
The native peoples’ lives were through.

"Indians! Indians!" Columbus cried;
He didn’t know how badly he lied.

But "India" the land was not;
It was the Bahamas, and it would soon be fraught.

The Arakawa natives were very nice;
If only they knew their kindness would cost them a price.

Columbus sailed on to find some gold,
Instead he raped and killed and stole people to be sold.

He made the trip again and again,
And every time he brought more chains.

The first American? No, not quite.
So maybe we should stop celebrating a slaver, rapist, and murderer for something he didn't even do.