United Divide | Teen Ink

United Divide

November 17, 2016
By jtannenbaum00 BRONZE, West Hartford, Connecticut
jtannenbaum00 BRONZE, West Hartford, Connecticut
1 article 0 photos 1 comment

Pain, we feel it every day
Anger, we feel it every day
Betrayal, we feel it every day
Hatred, we feel it every day

In a world overshadowed by fear
It’s hard to see the light
So we shed tear after tear
Because we know we’re losing the fight
Our government should be fair
We’re America, after all
But The Constitution on which we swear
Has far too many faults
Freedom of Speech is our first right
Yet every day and every night
Silence is our protocol
Because it’s never the man’s error
When a woman succumbs to assault
Or when a family on welfare
Are told they're lesser
Even though democracy screams;
“Freedom for one and all!”

There are no shades of gray
Between the anger and the pain
That seek vengeance on those who betray
And trigger the hatred we feel every day

Who cares if I’m gay?
Or Latino, Hindi, or black?
My skin doesn’t define me
So don’t give me this flack
Or tell me I’m unimportant for being an independent woman
Or that I should be deported for fleeing Afghanistan
Because America was the only way
To save my family from the Taliban 

The world’s a scary place
So we bow our heads and pray
To a God we’re losing trust in every single day
Because the pain and anger and betrayal just won’t go away

Then hatred blinds us, and we forget how far we’ve come
Since our ancestors walked this ground
And while our work here isn’t done
The progress is profound
On August 18th, 1920, women were allowed to vote
On May 17th, 1954, Congress passed Board vs Brown
July 2nd, 1964 brought forth the Civil Rights Act
Fifty-four years, we watched as President Obama was crowned
Opinions may vary, but there’s no changing facts
When on June 16th, 2015 anyone can marry
Whomever they attract

Because love always trumps hate
No matter the president
No matter the state
No matter the torment
We are America the Brave
And we must stand united
For it is the only way

So to the African Americans being attacked by racists
To the women who think they’re not enough
To the children who cut their wrists
To the LGBT community who are told they cannot love
To the Muslims who are on blacklists
To the immigrants struggling to coexist
To all the diamonds in the rough
Better days will come
Because despite the hatred that still exists
Our fight isn’t done
And it will continue to persist
Until we have won


The author's comments:

United Divide was inspired by the 2016 Presidential Election, and how its outcome affected my family as well as countless other minority families living in the US. However, this piece isn't about hatred and betrayal, but the ways in which adveristy brings us closer together, as we continue fighting for equal rights for everyone, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or class. 


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This article has 3 comments.


on Mar. 20 2017 at 9:29 pm
eshaansoman SILVER, Hillsborough, New Jersey
8 articles 0 photos 30 comments
love the use of figurative language! This is great!

on Mar. 19 2017 at 10:12 am
jtannenbaum00 BRONZE, West Hartford, Connecticut
1 article 0 photos 1 comment
@FlowersNPaper03 Thanks, you're so sweet. I'm glad you like it.

on Mar. 14 2017 at 4:49 pm
FlowersNPaper03, Northglenn, Colorado
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments
Love this poem! Great job! Definatly one of the best poems Ive ever read!