the unitedness
of the United States
won the civil war & the cold war
as it brought victories
in World Wars I & II––
it prevails
in every conflict
when the people
march together
& sing as one.
democracy provides
the freedom
for its own
destruction––
the freedom to lie––
the freedom not to think––
the freedom to be selfish––
the freedom to be unresponsible––
& above all––
the freedom to believe in
nothing.
the process of governance
is not rational––
it is endocrine––
whomever can control
the electoral hormones
wins.
the greatest generation
is inevitably followed by
a far less than great
& waffling
generation.
the energies & enthusiasms
of our youth
could save us
but their inheritance
(& their children’s inheritance)
have long been granted
to the very rich.
every once in so often
(when we are not
practicing the stupidities
of our super-power ego
as we did in vietnam,
iraq & afghanistan––
& we are not dallying
with trump &
the morally neglectful
republican party)
a challenge arises
that threatens the very
existence of our country
& our world.
amerikans don’t love
each other––
don’t trust each other––
don’t care for each other––
they want to live
in sealed capsules
with their ears
closed
(except to gossip).
the spin-doctors
have the world
spinning––
there is no source
of truth.
yet we are being
tested
to see if we have
any gumption
left––
if we still remember
how to hold hands––
to have faith in God
& our fellow
countrymen.
our very freedom
is at stake––
& the freedom
of all the free world
can be lost.
we Americans
will rise together
or fall
into eventual slavery
of every mind.
democracy is imperfect
because it relies
on trust & individual
character.
is there enough
yankee spine
in this country
to make us stand?
to shout out our anthem
in unison?
to prove we’re
brave?
to keep us free?