New American Tragedy
Smile at the children
so they don’t realize they’re animals in cages
sleeping on the floor with a blanket of tin foil.
And crown they good with brotherhood.
We’re not allowed to touch the sobbing kids.
What they’re fleeing is worse than how we’re treating them.
And that’s the way it is. Period.
We shouldn’t be using kids as a deterrent,
mortar to build our wall, extortion
in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Where are the girls and young toddlers?
Steamroll the public with statistics and deny
pictures and sounds of wailing children.
That’s an orchestra we have in here.
God mend thine every flaw
Confirm thy soul in self-control
Thy liberty in law!
Build a 30-foot-high structure
from sea to shining sea to solve the problem.
God shed his grace on thee
Till nobler men keep once again
Thy whiter jubilee!
It’s good to have the favor of the king.
9 thoughts on "New American Tragedy"
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ha, i love it! reminds me of one of my favorite movies as a youth, History of the World pt. 1 with Mel Brooks… barely a day goes by where i dont find myself saying “it’s good to be the king”…
Gaby, this is amazing. I love your inserting lines from hymns, and I especially like the last line. Maybe he at least thinks he’s king.
Thoughtful and lovely poem, Dr. Bedetti.
Wow. Love it–very strong statement! And the juxtaposition with the hymn works very well.
The dichotomy of the original lines with the hymnal ones sets a tone that sombers it much more than either by themselves.
….. like the deep low notes on a piano…. this one was felt …. like those
Great poem for tragic times
If the anthem would but become a part of our living instead of just our singing. You showed us the way . . .
So much good anger and truth!