The Proud

We call ourselves Americans -
A proud and moral group.
We hold to life and liberty
Within our stately troupes.
Delighting in our history
As decades pass and meld;
Fulfilling dreams of yesterday
Our forefathers once held.

It's so serene, the image seen -
America, the grand.
Created by and for our needs
We've fought to hold this land.
Allegiance to the flag - we state;
One nation under God.
We burst with pride - mom - apple pie!
Is this but a façade?

The answer rests with whom you ask
To find a clear response.
Though most will say in vital ways
We need a renaissance
Of what it is that represents
Our country as a whole;
We need to take a good hard look -
And find our common goals.
 
For there are burrs embedded - deep
Within our nation's heart.
They burrow with their angry barbs
And weaken all the parts
With epitaphs of who fits in
And who is fit to stay.
We sit in judgment of ourselves!
A truly sad display.

America, the beautiful;
The words our nation sings.
They bring up thoughts of cherished lands -
How freedom always rings.
But in this day and hour we're now at war
Within our lines;
Because the word 'American'
Means more than it defines…

A native or inhabitant
Is what the word suggests.
In looking at the U.S.A -
We wear so many vests.
The fullness of our culture comes
From lots of avenues -
From places all around the globe;
Infusing countless views.

And yet, to look inside our ranks
There's loathing from within.
It seems some think Americans
Should match in thought and skin.
Our history states otherwise -
We have a massive sign
Held close to breast - by she who holds
The key to our design…

She lifts her lamp to huddled masses -
Yearning to be free.
She says “Come send your homeless and
Your tempest-tost to me.”
And so in droves we’ve come to live
From nations far and near;
To have a place that we call home;
Within a new frontier.

America, ‘the melting pot’;
It’s how our country’s known!
With many varied cultures
It is how our country’s grown.
The richness of our customs
Are entrenched throughout the land.
So as we share our ways of life –
We grow - thus we expand…

Take heed - fellow Americans;
We live within the shores
That promise freedom to the world –
Long opened are our doors.
We mustn’t lose the standards
That are built on our ideals;
Appreciate the ‘whole’ we are!
And we’ll begin to heal…