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Listen MAG
I wish I could hear America singing,
but for a long time, she has only been screaming.
Listen.
Can you hear the angry people steaming?
The top 1 percent scheming?
I can.
What would it look like,
a strong melodious song? Our problems withdrawn,
prejudice long gone, where all people belong,
united to make a rhythm so strong we must
Listen.
Though now I am only dreaming,
I see a future so gleaming, a chance for redeeming.
Can you hear that faint ringing?
It’s America- she must be singing.
Listen.
This poem is a response to Walt Whitman's famous poem, "I Hear America Singing". Whitman describes what he finds beautiful about America and what his America looks like, and I wanted to do the same. My America is a place where people of all cultures and backgrounds, colors and ethnicities are treated equally. It is a place where those in the LGBTQIA+ community are fully accepted and celebrated, and gender discrimination is long gone. But most importantly, it is a place where, regardless of political affiliation or personal identity, individuality is something that brings us together rather than driving us apart. Now, I understand I am asking for a lot, which is why I decided to write my poem about the hope I have for the future, not the demands I have for the present. It may not be in my lifetime, but I look forward to a time where all people can hear America singing, and where all people belong to her song.