J.P.G. Poems
America©
By Joseph P. Gimenez
2010 for the
Red Hook Series
America Still Beautiful from Sea to
Shining Sea
The snow falls on the majestic mountains
that lie far to the west
The natives know this land for they have
put it to the test
Somehow in all the scuffle, and land claims
long ago
Became the land AMERICA the one of which we
know.
Our forefathers in their wisdom made a
simple plan
It would decide the fate of every woman,
child and man
It took some thinking for this important
document to make
The hours labored upon its writing was for
everyone’s sake.
We broke our ties with the country from
which we came
We kept the language but discarded their
very name
We had now found a land that needed to be
tamed
It wasn’t easy coming here the land was not
the same.
The first years were rough as the history
books reveal,
The trials and tribulations faced were
sometimes surreal.
But still through it all they knew in their
heart of hearts
They had to succeed in this new land for
that’s where it all starts.
Year by year they prospered and our nation
grew
We settled the frontier and the land that
no one knew
We gained some friends and enemies along
the way
But it took all that and more to get where
we are today.
These days the mountains to west still have
snow
They hold the memories of so long ago
Just like the great redwoods that witnessed
our nation’s birth
And if the mountains and trees could speak
they would expound our nation’s worth.
These days it seems we have forgotten our
past
We have forgotten our roots and the things
that should last
Religion for one was in our fore fathers
decree
Just like the command that all men be free.
We look around this world and chaos we find
We have somehow lost touch with values left
behind
We have forgotten what we truly hold in
trust
Is for our decedents in the future before
it all turns to dust
People today are in rage and disbelief
They cannot find solitude only grief
They have forgotten the very thing our
forefathers said
We the People was just something they read.
Now we find ourselves at a cross roads of
sorts
Being pulled this way and that and have no
retort
For the things we could say have been
already said
And there are many a nation that would see
us dead.
So how do we turn around this sad state of
events?
While storms come and earthquakes roll and
people live in tents?
There is one avenue we fail to even see
It’s in the constitution it’s called the B
I ble.
Many of our problems are brought on by
ourselves
We have hocked our country and disregarded
the man upstairs
We have squandered our wealth of which
there was ample store
And hard as we try we cannot bring it back
except with luck and more
So the time has come for us to decide our
fate
Do we keep the status quo or plan another
debate?
Do we let others decide the path we will
take?
People are like sheep and it matters not if
you are fake.
The wolves will spot you and your life they
will take.
They will promise you whatever it takes to
draw you away.
And little by little they will make you
pay.
Pay until all your money is gone and
promise you a brighter tomorrow today.
BUT not all the world is a frightful place
you see
Many of the countries are just like you and
me
The difference is they try not to
please all mankind
And live a comfortable existence as they
pass through time.
So the next time you sleep and dream of
sugar plums and fairies
Of things that this land used to be made of
but has now become weary
Think about the mountains to the west and
the big sequoia trees
The have seen the good, the bad and have
weathered OUR disease.
America the beautiful is not just a phrase
you see
It started long ago and was sung from sea
to shining sea
It was the strength of the people and gave
hope for all to see
Let’s hope we get it back before our
ignorance vanquishes you and me.
Oh Beautiful, for spacious skies for amber
waves of grains.
For purple mountains majesty above the
fruited plains
AMERICA, AMERICA GOD shed his grace on thee
And crown them GOOD with BROTHERHOOD, from
SEA to SHINING SEA.