… that this nation, under God,
shall have a new birth of freedom…
Abraham Lincoln,
Gettysburg Address,
November 19, 1863
gifts from
two Americans
who glimpsed the
Promised Land
from Jefferson––
inalienable
human equality &
an open sky
of liberty––
from Lincoln––
the hallowed ground
of government
of, by and for
The People––
All People
government is the
commonwealth &
a blessing to
The People
good government
is their endowment of
yearning posterity
with blessings of
clear air, rushing waters &
a peaceful blue pearl earth
Government is no enemy of The People––
self-rule is their defining
wealth––
please let’s not
deed it only to
the rich
it was Madison
who made freedoms
of religion, speech, press &
complaint
daily
practicalities
rights became
law––
subject to lawyers,
legislatures; selfishness &
greed
in our time
truth has been
toppled upside
down––
& hero journalists
damned
as liars by
liars
amerika is now
the poorest
country of all––
angry, polarized &
afraid
two sparse ethics
remain: domination
&
gluttony––
& two surviving
aspirations:
wealth & celebrity
amerika is the world’s
greatest oligarchic
plutocracy––
we elected a plutocrat
& he duly
hand-picked faithful plutocrats
to enrich themselves
at his court
we are now the
richest
country with a government
of, by & for
the rich
George Washington was a
humble, highly moral
man––
who shunned all taint
of ego
trump shouts out
“yes I can”
it is time
for Lincoln’s
new birth of
freedom––
for the most
idealistic country
in history
to remember its
ideals
look there––
just above our
flag––
see America
still shining
on the sacred
mountaintop