America Shattered Poem by Dave Cadaqu

America shattered

Terror cannot be fought with terror.
I do not recognize the faces on the streets
I see pride in destruction, it is in the headlines
Who are these people that could be so hollow?
They anger me.

Home of the free, land of the brave?
I don't see it. I see:
‘Home of the cowering, land of the depraved'?
Cowards with guns, cowards with self-lies, cowards afraid of equality
Scapegoating the weak, kicking them while down,
What is this?
How are these the actions of a strong and decent people?

This is not my America, the one I was told
The land of ‘work hard and get ahead'
Face every challenge head on, respecting differences.
I cannot countenance, unbridled self-righteousness.
I cannot accept violence as the only recourse
What has happened to…
"all men are created equal"?

America of the industrious, the earnest, the brave

Where have they gone, why have they left?
Was it just a dream?