Love Poem: A Letter to America
Garry Clements Avatar
Written by: Garry Clements

A Letter to America

A letter to America 
America we have been your friend
Forever now it seems
Through adversity and good times
Shared interwoven dreams

You had our back in darkest days
And likewise we’ve had yours
And though sometimes ill-advisedly
supported all your wars. 

You are like an older cousin
To admire and revere
A land of truth and justice
But it’s all changing now we fear

We see your inner conflict
The hype, the lies, the spin
Upheaval of society
The rupture from within

The discontent of common folk
Of those that bear the load
The absence of all empathy
Life’s hope and dreams erode

The cynical power-hungry
That stir what lies confined
The discontent and prejudice
That simmer in the mind

Create a scapegoat stir the mob
Feed the fear and hate
Morality and ethics die
Amid the chaos they create. 

Let’s blame the Jews or Muslims
The Hispanic or the Black
Chose any small minority
With no chance of fighting back

Make America Great Again
The catchcry fills the air
But somewhere in the cheering crowd
We lost what made it fair

This all bears a similarity
To another time and place
But let’s trust that this great nation
Would that pathway not retrace

Your friends the whole world over
With bated breath, afraid to ask
All hoping that your constitution
Is equal to the task

And may the storm that shakes you now
Give way to calmer skies—
Where ethics bloom and truth returns,
And hope no longer hides.

Our leanings shaped by family ties,
By hardship, pride, and pain—
The stories told around the fire
Still echo and remain

So whether you lean to left or right
Let conscience be your guide
Don’t be afraid to say your piece
It may just turn the tide