July 4th - By Ruth Calder Murphy

Happy Independence Day
to all my friends in the U.S.A.
Free to live and free to be,
free to think and speak and see,
free to leave and free to stay,
and free to love the U.S.A.

Happy Independence Day
(But don’t bad-mouth the U.S.A.
You’re free to think and speak and be
and free to live in harmony,
IF you live the American Way:
don’t criticise the U.S.A.)

Happy Independence Day -
Just be careful what you say;
America’s great, the very best,
don’t even glance at all the rest
or hear what other cultures say:
don’t criticise the U.S.A.

Happy Independence Day
to stars and stripes, to you, today.
- Red, white and blue (and black-and-white)
are all good colours; they’re alright
(from rainbows, though, stay well away
and, too, from subtle shades of grey...
DON’T criticise the U.S.A.)

Happy Independence Day.
America’s friends will be okay.
Be careful though: you’re free, you’re fine
if you stay safe, within the line.
Just live the great American way:
don’t criticise the U.S.A.

By Ruth Calder Murphy 

Authors Note:  Despite - or perhaps I should say "for the reasons behind" - the cynical tone of this poem, I do, genuinely and sincerely, wish all of my American friends - and all of my human family, worldwide - a happy Independence Day. 

May you be truly free.

Image from: www.lucente.org
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