PITY THE NATION

 PITY THE NATION

by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, 2007

(After Khalil Gibran)

Pity the nation whose people are sheep

   And whose shepherds mislead them

 Pity the nation whose leaders are liars

            Whose sages are silenced

  And whose bigots haunt the airwaves

 Pity the nation that raises not its voice

          Except to praise conquerers

       And acclaim the bully as hero

          And aims to rule the world

              By force and by torture

          Pity the nation that knows

        No other language but its own

      And no other culture but its own

 Pity the nation whose breath is money

 And sleeps the sleep of the too well fed

      Pity the nation oh pity the people

        who allow their rights to erode

   and their freedoms to be washed away

               My country, tears of thee

                   Sweet land of liberty!