Losing America
By: Martina Aucejo
This poem is a result of me reflecting on the state of the U.S and some recent events that have occurred, including but not limited to BLM, COVID-19 and the Capitol riots that occurred on January 6th, 2021. The poem may not be flawless, nor a piece of art, but I still hope that it is enjoyable.
Red banners invade T.V. screens
conquering our eyes, ears, and minds
with urgency and desperation
as death tolls, impeachment, and crumbling politics
hold the gaze of the nation.
Breaking news flash before my eyes
blinding me with worry and paralyzing me with fear
yet I am unable to look away.
I am hanging onto the end of every syllable of the words BREAKING NEWS
reaching for hope that one day breaking news will be
good news
only to succumb to the reality that it never has been
and that it may never be.
My mind is supposed to be a temple
golden at every edge
sacred, untouchable, and safe.
yet it’s crumbling at the hands
of our nation’s state.
My mind is unstable.
Unstable like American democracy
that has been invaded and penetrated
by our great patriots
who claim
to fight for freedom and justice
pridefully chanting ‘U-S-A’,
boasting as innocents die
from diseases and riots
ultimately destroying the trust
we once had
in our government and people.
Is this the America we want?
Immigrants come from near and far
seeking refuge and safety.
America lures them with a sweet cry of freedom and democracy
only for them to arrive to an America stained with broken systems and failed dreams.
My parents don’t look at Capitol Hill as a threat.
No.
Capitol Hill is a reminder–
a reminder of corruption’s existence
a reminder of fear and helplessness
and a reminder as to why they immigrated in the first place.
Is this the America they deserve?
People come into grocery stores
wearing an all too familiar cover
smothering their hands in hand sanitizer
holding an imaginary 6 foot ruler in front of them.
There are an exceptional few who bare their entire selves to the world
as it is their right to choose to not bare a cover
rather than a measure of safety or a moral responsibility.
Ah, yes–
It is our right to continue to as we please
in the land of the free and the righteous
and potentially put others in harm’s way
because others don’t have a right to live?
Where has our humanity gone?
Since when have we stopped caring for the common man
the poor woman
and the hungry child?
Since when have we been so hateful and ignorant–
unwilling to communicate and trust others
solely because of the fact that
we disagree with each other?
Since when have we lost America?