O’er The Land of the Free

Image Credit: Mohamed_hassan

When I read “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Dr. Maya Angelou several decades ago, a phenomenal book that is banned by the way, I understood her plight, fight, and flight. As I have said in previous posts, ignorance and divisiveness are dangerous thieves, and continuing to give them energy by talking about them is exhausting. I am clearing my path of the stifling debris left and trying to leave such nonsense.

When things like this try to push and pierce my hope and optimism with fear and foolishness, I have a spiritual bulldozer that pushes such rubble away and out of my orbit. When it tries to come back and sneak in, I won’t and don’t give it the breath to thrive or survive. I’m too damn old for that. (Not today, not tomorrow, and next week ain’t lookin’ too good either!) I reach in and garner my strength to push such mess away again and again.

A few nights ago, the following poem came to me in a dream/vision. Although I was sleepy, my phone was next to me and I managed to type it down so I could rewrite it when I got up. I suppose I went to bed with my mind on the unrest in our land, as well as the heartbreaking wars and unrest in lands around the world. I wonder what goes through the minds of people who seek to kill and destroy innocent people, or at least try to destroy others so they can benefit from it. It’s not just the abusive people who hold high positions of power, but those around us trying to tear others down just to build themselves up.

But when things are reduced to rubble what then? The vitriol and clean-up are more costly and massive than one could imagine. When you think about or look at freedom, what are you escaping from, what do you see, what do you feel, what do you taste, smell, or hear? Wake up, open the cage door today, spread your wings like an eagle, and fly! 🦅

O’er The Land of the Free

Tell me, oh tell me, oh say, can you see 
O’er the land of the free, voices united boldly
I see you, you see me, a beautiful tapestry of diversity 
our hands that toil with honesty still hail proudly with glee

murdered dreams and nothingness never again permitted to be
not held hostage, in bondage, complete misery, or anxiety 
fighting for what’s just, with courage, we stand and shall not flee
liberation for all people, he, she and we

a universal language spoken in love and humility
as ignorance is buried in ash-covered pits of bigotry
hands joined without fear, uplifting hope and democracy
from sea to shining sea, o’er the land of the free.

©2024 Kym Gordon Moore

Image Credit: Andrew-Art/Pixabay