THIS IS MY AMERICA
During 911 we united as one
as grief and horror gripped America
Flags flew from car windows in solidarity
Oklahoma City bombing and Columbine
we grieved and cried together
This was my America
Today rights to guns take violent precedence
over children’s ‘ rights to be safe at school.
No laws just
Let us pray for their souls.
Health care is denied,
Minimum wage not raised in 20 years
billionaire employers claim
poverty
This is my America
Illusions of give me your tired your poor your
huddled masses yearning to be free
We all bought into the dream
work hard enough you can be rich.
This was the dream of America
This was my America until
I learned of women burnt in the Triangle fire
tiny children working 12 hour days in factories
workers as profit ciphers
not humans.
Where is my America, land of the free, home of the brave?
Immigrants fed the illusion
streets were paved with god
sadly finding out streets were paved over bodies
of indigenous children,
graves of slaves and Cherokee
dropped dead on the Trail of Tears
This is my America not in the history books.
Wolves mouths open wide, drooling
snarling vile expletives
smearing feces on the walls of democracy
Congress fleeing in fear
denying it ever happened.
How is this my America?
White wolves with the same mouths open
wide and drooling,
same kind of protest signs
screaming vile expletives
at a small black girl in Little Rock.
Was my America always like this?
In the 1950s, a schoolteacher
could buy a home in Manhattan Beach
raise a family of 10 children
on one income
Schools could have bake sales
classes could have birthday parties
Political parties could disagree
yet still somehow work together.
That is my America
In the 50s women and those of color
denied certain jobs and education
Gays subjected to mental asylums
No laws against domestic abuse
Mostly white men were the leaders.
This was my America.
when Obama was elected.
My supervisor and I hid in her office
to express our joy quietly.
It hurt to think that was my America.
America is remembering Tulsa burning,
George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
about Chauvin sentenced to 22 – 1.2 years.
Manhattan Beach claiming
eminent domain over beach property
owned by a black family
and finally returning it.
America is
I swear to tell the truth.
first responders of Covid
the firefighter’s daughter found dead
in the Surfside rubble.
Parkland.
Becca traveling to Standing Rock
on her motorcycle
my cousin Bryan, traveling
to New Orleans in Hurricane Katrina
rescuing animals.
That is America.
God bless America
God mend thine every flaw.