Flashlights Over America!

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.   .   .

Horizontal, these electric-karma streaks flashing
   the jagged teeth of a leviathan smiling
across the nighttime line running low, above
   the clouded blue-black ink of deepest sea
where fish swarm blind and creatures lived as
   street bums with bottles of darkened spirits
methylated and rolled up in cardboard, newsprint
   they were there all the time on the sea bed
they still are, in doorways to plush accommodations
   but not to welcome warmly anyone to America

Mammy, pappy, imagined the lifelong day
   to live in a hovel in westerland on a spot o’land
they climbed aboard a schooner bound for Nova Scotia
   the yellow sun fell on their valley creating an aura
civilisation moves a pace, mid the gleans and beinns
   oblivious to the march of time and arctic peoples
across the seas or in grand towns, histories form medieval
   not London nor Constantinople but where the buffalo roam
American Indians, tribes, bands, first nation colonials
   they never planned to invite visitors from overseas

Columbus found convolvulus wrapped around it’s spine
   a nation dressed in morning glory at its premiere
gypsy peoples beyond the origins of time knew horror
   before the massacre at high-school Columbine
primitive arrows quivered, the north plateau it shivered
   in windy wastes, moccasined feet, keyholes in the snow
no wild west show or signs given for the way they should go
   Japethites, their journey through time, a peaceful people
indigenous, native, holy, disrespected by their invaders
   characterised by Hickok showmen with tales phoney

Gunshots in Chi-ca-goo, her baby in a papoose
   stay my child before the bluecoats come to plunder
is it any wonder I lay my head down on this land
   separate thought in consideration, thoughts be damned
we carry in our holster recollections of our fathers lands
   the tyranny of the masses bad as conscience sags
at the corral of any nation be it India, Australasia or Siam
   it is a conundrum how any nation may be formed
except we must question how the death of small children
   could be grounds accepted for ought but revolution

How fast they grew, children of our loins, this pioneer land
   its laws, customs, towns and states, America the brave
raped the sea of whales, fought within itself, retired its braves
   who tried to make amends so meekly for the use of slaves
yet when was their freedom considered, torn from other lands
   the mighty dream rolled on, America the free it binds
black man’s wrists with practises, beatings, murders so unkind
   yes cities grew, the dream it never died while the worst bits
America you intended to hide, come clean thou huge imposter
   you were leviathan smiling at the gates with blood in your eyes

America, your searchlights blazing (might) winkle out the lies
   midst global darkness, eliminating treatise you despise
your articles of freedom state reasons to build such beacons
   yet your suburban cops are still an alarming sight to see
within your new, fragile, national identity, incapable of apology
   Maddison’s constitution is creaking at the knees yet
intellects for democracy still agree there is no other banner
   whether star-spangled or plastered with new-left lather
you would rather take a cut-throat to the neck in secret than
   join a private war, your efforts to police the world dying on the floor

Flashlights shine above New York, sirens sound in Connecticut
   waters rise in New Orleans, a teeming monster has evolved
who stepped from out bleach-ed sea to tame the blistered land
   learned to build a concrete utopia in a desert made with sand
walk around on Michigan glass where bottles they are made
   swim in Californ-i-a with silver fish, ride technologies wave
Pittsburgh’s steel is hard as hell, who rang the Philadelphia bell
   on a visit to sweet Virginia, we call on Washington for justice
consecrate the constitution to absolve the terror from your past
   prove your repentance of misdeeds that held the world aghast

When John the Baptist met Salomi no one called him for his role
   in adolescent atrophy, he recognised his time to step aside
ever the black sun falls smoothly from out of western skies
   my alma-mater sings so holy the purple clouds of morning
we see shepherds blush-red warning, stand in a lightening storm
   kiss the clouds of our pollution as they fold us in their arms
America you might still fulfil your mighty dreams of youth
   anoint the crumbling heads of Rushmore’s four to resurrect
begin again to find solutions, your people wait on line
   we still hear your eagle cry, see your flashlight in our sky

©edenbraytoday30.08.2021

Author’s note:~

probably unfinished – am I a republican? – am I a democrat? – am I even an American? – do I believe in America? or democracy? or unity? or humanity? or peoples of the world? or religion? or God? or women, children or men? do I believe? do I have hope? you must choose .. .

#hopeSkin – #hopeSkin – #hopeSkin . .. i do