In this land of freedom
and crispy red apples
daylight is flickering
between pitch-dark and dappled

For FEMA’s defunding
the yacht-loungers grin and clap
they jigger fat balance sheets
while Congress chips at SNAP

ICE storms all June this year—
isn’t this weather crazy?
Round strawberries left to rot
(they say immigrants are lazy)

I’m driven to pen rhyme
by a shortage of free reason
in this star-spangled land
where an op-ed’s labeled treason

Across orange fields of misery
let’s sow some seeds of hope
may humanity grow taller
and crowd out misanthropes.