Video Poems

Right about now, if not for the coronavirus
the summer Olympics would be starting
do you ever watch the opening ceremony?
the pomp and circumstance
the songs and the verve and the dance
the torch lighting
the parade of the participants
they walk out onto the world’s stage in
unison, each nation unanimously uniformed
carefully costumed in customs
to characterize their heritage
then, near the end of this exhibition of traditions
comes the United States of America…

and it looks like a mix of every other country
you see red, white, and blue
but you see a lot of other colors too
you see the smiles
you see the strength that comes
when diversity is merged with purpose
melded by the moxie
to churn mettle into medals
and grit into gold
united by the will to come home as champions
but it was postponed until next year
and I wonder if we’ll even still have team USA by then
I wonder, is America even possible?

this idea of a melting pot
with 330 million ingredients
the delicacy of such a delicacy
will we savor it, or spit it out?
slogans painted on courts and roads want to know
the fire is inquiring
as it drips from awnings of unrest
in the shards of shattered windows
our reflections beg the question
will the American experiment excel
or explode?
will the most prosperous and free country in the history of the world cannibalize itself?

I don’t know

what if we re-envisioned patriotism
into not believing our country is perfect
but believing it’s worthwhile to make our country better
what if we didn’t think of it as pledging allegiance to a flag
but as pledging allegiance to the fabric
that we’re all made of
liberty, equality, and justice are in our constitution
not because we’re American
but because we’re human

it’s why these truths are self-evident
it’s why the yearning to be part of something greater than ourselves is so prevalent
this law that’s written on all of our hearts
is so much more important
than any law that could be written in a Capitol building

if we were willing to live by the tenets of respect, love, and grace
we wouldn’t need to separate ourselves by gender, income, or race
if our conscience is collective
our government doesn’t need to be
what this means to me
is power to the people
we forget, we are powerful people

MLK Jr said we need to be co-workers with God
even if you don’t believe in God
we still need to be co-workers in good
we need to see the good in each other
we need to see the good in our country
yes, learn about slavery, the Confederation, and Jim Crow
but also learn about
Garrison, Gettysburg, and Harriet Beecher Stowe
learn about lynchings, plantations, and segregation
but also about emancipation, the Cold War
and the greatest generation
learn about our most egregious breaches of freedom
learn them so well
that we’ll never feel the need to repeat them
learn about the courage and the passion that we unleashed to defeat them
learn about the failures and successes of America
learn how they’ve both been twisted
learn about what the world would look like today if America never existed

learn, and let us be free to discern
and seek,
and by any means necessary let us be free
to speak

let us be immersed in serving
let us reason our way to our convictions
and not be convicted by coercion

you can’t create a utopia with imperfect people
but you can create a place where people are free to be imperfect
can we at least agree that such a place would be worth it

whatever your intentions
whatever tactics you’re employing
just ask the question
am I building, or am I destroying?
ask not what your government can do
but what you can do

stop looking at everything through glasses that are tinted red or blue
and to the mainstream media – stop tinting everything that the masses are looking at

we can write a much better narrative

look, I don’t know if America is possible
it’s never been done before
but I know the only way to find out
is to want it
and to work for it
to operate from a position of hope and not hate
to thirst, not for blood but for brotherhood
we have to give what it takes
we’re gonna have to summon some of that golden mettle
and moxie and grit
and God and good
and find the will to make our way

when the olympic flame makes its way
to the next opening ceremony
the eyes of the world will be watching to see what countries take the stage

I don’t want to root for
west America, or east America
or coastal America, or middle America
or black America, or white America

I just want to root
for America