A REFUGE FOR POETS WHO WRITE IN THE LYRIC TRADITION,
WITH RHYME AND METER, WITH OR WITHOUT MUSIC
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THIS IS AMERICA
This is America,
Land of the free.
Given by patriots
To you and to me.
Don’t take it for granted.
It comes at a cost.
Let it be treasured
And never be lost.
This is America,
Open to all.
People from everywhere
Answer her call.
Our strength is our weakness,
Our trust is our fear.
We leave as a target
All we hold dear.
This is America,
Beacon of light.
Shining eternally
By day and by night.
The forces of darkness
Hate what they see,
For they are in bondage
And long to be free.
This is America,
Battered and bruised,
With so much to live for
And so much to lose.
In search of security,
If we ever give in
And surrender our liberty,
The enemy wins.
This is America,
United at last.
We look to the future
And learn from the past.
Aggression and arrogance
Don’t work any more.
We cannot engage in
What we deplore.
This is America,
Land of the free.
Given by patriots
To you and to me.
Don’t take it for granted.
It comes at a cost.
Let it be treasured
And never be lost.
Canton, New York, 2001
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