010 Disillusionment

The first pieces I wrote on this poem were actually for the Childhood Memories prompt, so maybe now you see why I switched out that topic... 

 
Little bodies standing tall,
small hands laid on hearts.
This land is our land, best land.
Peace, liberty and justice for all.

Peace, while bombs rain down on Iraq.
Liberty, while women and children are sold for sex.
Justice, while for-profit prisons feed on Latinos and blacks.
While the rich take our money and won't give it back.

Blindly, I swore allegiance to this flag
regardless of the repugnant
actions of the republic
for which the banner stands.

I repeated all the words; I didn't understand.

The star-spangled blindfold
is gone from my eyes.
No allegiance to a flag,
a nation or the lies.

I pledge myself to humankind,
and the planet on which it stands.
One life, one love, for all instead of some.
The revolution is a long time from its end.

As a wise congressman once said
before they gerrymandered his seat away.
If you're disillusioned, be glad.
It means you're free of the deceptions they made.


* True story: I saw Dennis Kucinich on a news program (Democracy Now, maybe?) and there was some mention of disillusionment, and he said that being disillusioned means you're free of illusions. It really struck me when I heard it, because everyone says it like it's a bad thing, but isn't it good? I mean, it'd be better if there weren't ugly things hidden behind illusions, but isn't it better to know the truth than to live in the lies?

Anyway. They did indeed gerrymander him out. They merged his district with that of another Dem, meaning that one or another would inevitably be removed from the House. Less opposition for the great Conservative Regression of America. Because we might have freedom to choose, but those in power work very hard to limit the choices presented.