America today i don’t want to fight it’s the birth of the dream that you are a torch in the dark

America today i want to make peace and not scream silently in my face in the morning while i brush my teeth

America today i gift you my childhood memories of strawberry ice cream in a waffle cone and slides and swings

America do you remember the fire works show and the flowers in my mother’s hair and my daddy drinking Michelob with his buddies

America when i sobbed at the age of nine over a missing teddy bear Carol and Alice and Lucy and Ethel made me smile

America i will forever love the apple pie and today i will set aside the agent orange sickness that killed my friends’ pas’

America lets celebrate those dreams and the tamales in the street that taste so good to me served with a whopping side of immigrant brown eyed love

America today the news won’t bother me let’s just sit on the front porch and watch the parade

America today i won’t worry about the mess i made of my life or fight with the powers that be

America today i want to celebrate what i have the lessons i have gleaned and the instances you’ve reached out and made me feel free