America, where is your beautiful?

Your wheat fields still wave amber as we pass by

Your mountains still majestic

The seas still wash our shores on moon time

Redwood forests are tall but must wonder

about our souls

after all their years watching 

 

Some creature—a demon perhaps 

            sucked the peopleness out of people

                        the color out of Goodness

                                    while Kindness sat 

                                                in a corner trying to unpack its words

Truth became a ghost we once held tight

            it disappeared in our arms on that day

                        hate dressed up as hot apple pie 

                                    it fed the multitudes angry breath 

                                                and foul decay

A hate-thy-neighbor blaze bled daily into our ears and eyes

            until numbness or verbal fists became our foods of choice

 

We hang on yesterday’s vine waiting for the liberator 

            who has always been us

 

Find your beautiful America

It still shines

Under spacious skies on

the shoulders

of your

mothers and fathers and neighbors

Their watchtower was made of sacred bricks

They knew Honor and Decency and Caring

are the sisters and brothers of Love

Wash the whiskey lies from your mind

Christ knows

we’re all 12 shades of brown

Not one of us will be white enough

When Ice men come to town