Welcome to My Poetry Site
Sing Out, Nation of Immigrants!
Sing out, nation of IMMIGRANTS!
Sing your glorious song
Of how this country was built--
Of what made this nation strong.
Sing about all the challenges
And hardships our ancestors found
When trying to build their lives
And get their feet on the ground.
Sing of the PERSECUTION
That drove them out of fear
To abandon their native homelands
And often haunted them here.
Sing of the Native Americans--
Of the proud and varied nations--
Displaced from their territories,
And forced into reservations.
Sing of our fellow Americans
Originally brought here by force;
Let the melody echo
Kindness and REMORSE.
Sing of the jobless, the homeless,
Whose families suffered the bane
Of a harsh, cruel existence
And here sought relief from their pain.
Sing of the countless refugees
Who fled from war-torn places,
Hoping to live in PEACE
In a land of welcoming embraces.
Sing of the life of the immigrant
Who faced prejudice and jeers--
Whose struggles for rights and acceptance
Sometimes lasted for years.
Sing of the factory workers
Who worked under hellish conditions--
Whose voices were long unheard
By the deaf ears of politicians.
Sing of the plight of the miners
Who extracted the underground coal--
Of the dangers that they encountered
As they worked in that dark, dusty hole.
Sing of the laborers from Asia,
Who helped lay our tracks--that's a fact--
And to whom we showed our thanks
With the Chinese Exclusion Act.
Think of the German, Norwegian...
All farmers who tilled the soil
To feed a nation that took
For granted their sweat and toil.
Sing of those working in fields,
Because of whose work you are able
To place with minimum effort
Fresh strawberries on your table.
Sing about all of the workers--
Such as the ones you hire
To do the low-paying work
Where conditions are sometimes dire.
Sing of the great DIVERSITY
That all people brought to this land,
Lest we forget who we are
And how to understand.
Sing of our immigrant nation
Before our memories fade
And we lose our self-identity,
And our actions become a charade.
Sing of the tired, the poor,
The "huddled masses yearning to breathe free,"
And may our behavior reflect
KINDNESS from you and from me!
Sing of our generous hearts
And let us eagerly guide
One another to show our compassion,
And NOT our cruel, ugly side.
(7-2-14)
Sing your glorious song
Of how this country was built--
Of what made this nation strong.
Sing about all the challenges
And hardships our ancestors found
When trying to build their lives
And get their feet on the ground.
Sing of the PERSECUTION
That drove them out of fear
To abandon their native homelands
And often haunted them here.
Sing of the Native Americans--
Of the proud and varied nations--
Displaced from their territories,
And forced into reservations.
Sing of our fellow Americans
Originally brought here by force;
Let the melody echo
Kindness and REMORSE.
Sing of the jobless, the homeless,
Whose families suffered the bane
Of a harsh, cruel existence
And here sought relief from their pain.
Sing of the countless refugees
Who fled from war-torn places,
Hoping to live in PEACE
In a land of welcoming embraces.
Sing of the life of the immigrant
Who faced prejudice and jeers--
Whose struggles for rights and acceptance
Sometimes lasted for years.
Sing of the factory workers
Who worked under hellish conditions--
Whose voices were long unheard
By the deaf ears of politicians.
Sing of the plight of the miners
Who extracted the underground coal--
Of the dangers that they encountered
As they worked in that dark, dusty hole.
Sing of the laborers from Asia,
Who helped lay our tracks--that's a fact--
And to whom we showed our thanks
With the Chinese Exclusion Act.
Think of the German, Norwegian...
All farmers who tilled the soil
To feed a nation that took
For granted their sweat and toil.
Sing of those working in fields,
Because of whose work you are able
To place with minimum effort
Fresh strawberries on your table.
Sing about all of the workers--
Such as the ones you hire
To do the low-paying work
Where conditions are sometimes dire.
Sing of the great DIVERSITY
That all people brought to this land,
Lest we forget who we are
And how to understand.
Sing of our immigrant nation
Before our memories fade
And we lose our self-identity,
And our actions become a charade.
Sing of the tired, the poor,
The "huddled masses yearning to breathe free,"
And may our behavior reflect
KINDNESS from you and from me!
Sing of our generous hearts
And let us eagerly guide
One another to show our compassion,
And NOT our cruel, ugly side.
(7-2-14)
