I live at the base of America’s Mountain, (Pikes Peak). I have seen her light up purple when the sun hits her just right. I have the privilege to gaze upon her beauty every single day.  I think it’s impossible not to be inspired when in the presence of her majesty.  

I am proud to be an American.  I love our country and I am fearful of losing her. 

“America, America, God shed His grace on thee” (Bates, 1893).

My Love Knows No Bounds

I stand at the side of my love as I watch her slowly die.

There is nothing I can do.  Her own body is destroying itself and fighting from within, and all I can do is watch her go. 

The experts come and go and tell me over and over again they are on my side.  They are eloquent of speech, but their pretty well rehearsed words won’t heal her.  All I can do is watch and pray. 

The experts come to offer me comfort, they say they will help and to hold on until I hear from them, but I never do.  All I can do is watch, pray, and, wait. 

I see the experts on the street, they repeat that something should be done and they are the ones to do it, but they don’t and nothing ever changes.  All I can do is watch, pray, wait, and hope. 

I stand at the side of my love and watch her fade away a little more everyday.  The experts have deserted me.  I have been forgotten as my love passes away. 

I hold on and beg her to also. She is so young, she is still growing up, and has learned so much, but there is so much more to do.  I cry for help, but no one comes. All I can do is watch, pray, wait, hope, and cry out. 

I run to the others, not the experts, but the ones just like me, I cry out, “Please help, my love is dying.” 

They reject me with expletives, hate, and cruelty, “She deserves to die.  She did nothing for us,” they yell.

I cry out, 

“She gave you faith,

She gave you a voice,

She gave you information, education,

She gave you community,

She gave you power,

She gave you public protection,

She gave you private protection,

She gave you privacy,

She gave you fairness, 

She gave you strength,

She gave you equality,

She gave you life,

She gave you liberty,

She gave you opportunity,

She gave you freedom.”

They refuse to listen they cannot hear over their own shouting. 

The experts have gone to their places, the others scoff, spit, and ridicule, I cry out to my love, as she softly whispers, “Dear child, put your faith not in me but in God alone. 

Understand and take heart that although they reject me, it is God that they seek, they just don’t realize it.  Faith, power, education, community, safety, privacy, fairness, strength, equality, life, liberty, opportunity, freedom, they all come from God, not me.  He allowed me this time to bestow it to His people, and I have been grateful for the privilege.  These things are all they ever wanted, they are all anyone really wants, and they had it, and have it still if they could only remember where to look.

They are lost children who have forgotten where to find these things.  They look outward when they should look within.  If they looked inside themselves they would find all that they seek and more, for God dwells in the heart of his people.

Soon, I may be gone, and I hope I can be remembered fondly for the brief moment in time that I was used by God to deliver His gifts to His beloved people.” 

I Love you my child, 

America

I hold on to her and watch, pray, wait, hope, and cry out while she slips away a little more everyday. 

My love knows no bounds for her.  I don’t have to wait to miss her, I already do. While I stand by her side I do as she asks and put my trust in God alone. 

 (This poem is based on the Bill of Rights, the Preamble of the US Constitution, and The Declaration of Independence)

Faith, voice, information, community, power (freedom)

A well regulated militia, the right to bear arms (protection)

Privacy

Fairness through due process, right to trial, no cruel and unusual punishment

Strength, life, liberty, opportunity, freedom

“That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” (The Declaration of Independence)

“We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” (The Preamble of the Constitution)

(jmelvin July, 2020)