New American Realm

by Edward J. Herdrich

Indigenous peoples,

from the beginning ‘til now

indignities suffered

no mercy for thou.

When we arrived

thought to lend us a hand

broken treaties our answer,

method of taking the land.

Navajo women

their choice of creation stolen away,

Dakota warriors protecting their own,

With their lives they must pay.

Pettiness, petulance, anger and hate,

blend them together

make America great.

Indifference, intolerance,

Lack of empathy too,

Make up the new American stew.

Make up the new American stew.

Though perhaps the words

never drawn from their mighty pen

the truth of their actions -

make America male white again.

With Don the Con strong at the helm,

A new low for the American realm.

Black and brown peoples

not quite human, true patriots will insist,

built the country for us,

pleas for diversity, equity, inclusion, please desist.

From Angola, other countries too,

brought here without any choice,

cries of shared humanity,

please lower your voice.

Work our farms, fields, factories

and more, if you don’t mind

your presence we might find illegal,

to your employer’s violations, we’re quite blind.

Women, they have to say,

from Adam’s rib were born

so to them even today,

second-class is just the right way.

They will continue to try to define

the abilities women possess in their mind,

ever ignoring the contributions already made

in science, art and more, above the grade.

Women of color even much more so,

they can only see as less

when in truth, what they can’t say

their own inadequacy, source of distress.

Pettiness, petulance, anger and hate,

blend them together

make America great.

Indifference, intolerance,

Lack of empathy too,

Make up the new American stew.

Though perhaps the words

never drawn from their mighty pen

the truth of their actions -

make America male white again.

With Don the Con strong at the helm,

A new low for the American realm.