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To America
You there,
America,
Leader of Nations,
Vanguard of Democracy,
Land of the Free,
Pioneer of Science,
Protector of Liberty:
Take a closer look at your American Dream.
Tell me:
is that a White House or an Ivory Tower?
You rain down with your righteousness and napalm,
Agent Orange and mother's apple pie.
You blast them all to hell because they didn't pass
the Pepsi Challenge,
salute the flag, remember 4th July.
You trade Big Macs for oil
and celluloid for sovereignty,
kicked the Reds' arses,
forced freedom on the oppressed.
The arms race, the space race,
the rapid pace of progress.
You wage war on tyrants and political villains
like Watergate just never happened.
USA, CIA, NRA, KKK.
There is no end to your disguises,
but I can see through your veil of lies.
You're a killer, Uncle Sam.
Your stripes are scars across the world
and your stars will burn
along with your flag, which was never flown at half-mast,
not for the Indians or the Vietnamese,
for Martin Luther King
or Columbine,
for the casualties of your disease.
You keep your dream.
I'll keep mine.
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Fantastic and angry - love it!
At first i thought "oh it's gonna be one o them rants" BUT (and i really really stress this) i began reading and could not stop. The imagery you use is perfect and the sentiment is not over the top and is very well chosen - i take an imaginative hand and slap my earlier thought wrist!
really well done hun. |
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Comment by: Teri - 2006-07-24 11:44
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I only have to look about 3 feet to my right to see someone who agrees with you. He's not a citizen of the US, either, but then again, I don't disagree with either of you, and I AM a citizen. And a Native American.
I'm proud of my country and what it once stood for. Now? I came this close (-) to moving to Canada after the last election.
I'll salute my flag, blow kisses at the Statue of Liberty, bow my head as I pass Arlington Nat'l Cemetery, and flip the bird at the White House - or rather, what's inside the White House.
I miss my country, but I love (most of) the people. |
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Comment by: cinders - 2006-04-13 09:49
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Hmm. I really like it. I feel a little bit in agreement and a little defensive, but good political poetry is supposed to leave you a little unnerved, a little riled up, right?
Judging by the comments, I think you did your job. |
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Comment by: moley - 2006-04-04 06:43
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I loved your use of brand names here.. I read a lot of postmodern poetry and it reminded me of a poem in particular, the name escapes me, but it tells of a dilema between Coke and Pepsi, I think.
I like it, it's got that kind of consumerism that the great American plays, poems and novels (i'm thinking 'streetcar' and 'the great gatsby', that kind of era) address, but flips it on it's head.
Hmm, i'm rambling, but it's great! x |
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Comment by: - 2006-03-31 13:30
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| my sentiments totally. I think if I understand this right you weren't dissing ALL americans but the concept of america, or at least it's administration and big business. And I can only agree with that and add that bLIAR and his cronies can do one as well. |
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