4th of July
The land of the free
The
home of the brave
It happens in the season of images of
children in cages
(euphemistically referred to as family
separation)
News reporting on the Supreme Court’s
jeopardy
And the Muslim ban continues
The
land of the free
The
home of the brave
I experience the fireworks with a community
of misfits and oddballs
We spend 21 days discussing peace and
conflict in the world
We represent what the empire desires and detests:
We rethink the world and refashion the
world into a new order
While cocooned in the forest campus in the
midst of a world that refuses its humanity
The
land of the free
The
home of the brave
 |
| Picture: Khanis Suvinita |
The fireworks reverberate through my body
Each thunder and burst of light I am
reminded of children separated from their mothers.
I struggle with the futility of the
celebration in a country being confronted with questions about justice
I grapple with the words which point us
towards justice:
(The arc of the moral universe
is long, but it bends toward justice)
The
land of the free
The
home of the brave
I wonder aloud about mourning
Collective mourning
In a world that willingly grinds a
machine which dehumanises
The
land of the free
The
home of the brave
I wonder about celebration
And nationalism and pride
The warm and fuzzy feelings existing
alongside hatred
The
land of the free
The
home of the brave
I clutch my chest preventing my heart from
leaving my body
As the thunder and colour continues to
dazzle
I wonder about the sound of bombs and
bullets which mirror the sound of the fireworks
Bombs and bullets in Syria, Nigeria, Indonesia, Israel, Palestine; fireworks in
New Jersey.
The
land of the free
The
home of the brave
 |
| Picture: Khanis Suvinita |
Yesterday the Drew Institute group gathered for a barbecue to mark America's 'Independence Day'. It's a fraught holiday which marks the American experience. We gathered and spoke about religious freedom and ended the evening by walking to a nearby park to watch the fireworks display. I wrote this poem while trying to reflect on the experience.
Comments