Independence Day…”all men are created equal”

Fourth of July 2012

I wrote this poem almost ten years ago. Thinking about the 4th of July and what independence day really means, I realized that it is all in the perspective from which it is viewed. It may be uncomfortable to look back at history the way it really was and know that for many generations, equality was nowhere to be found. A lot has changed in the last ten years, but inequality still exists in our nation. What will you and your children do to bring about change for the common good?

When all the fireworks fade into ashes

And the Bar-B-Que grills have cooled.

When the wide eyes of the children close in blissful sleep

Do you ever wonder what Independence Day really means…

To the ancestors of African slaves brought here in the holds of ships

Who look back at our forefather who bought and sold them,

Forefathers who wrote, “all men are created equal,”

And realize, the dark ones were not included.

In the words of, Thomas Jefferson, “less than human…”

Or, perhaps, to the Native Americans who loved the free and open spaces

Only to be run off their lands, pushed into the deserts,

Left where summer heat scorched them

And winter snows chilled them to the bone,

Where animals were few and crops refused to grow…

Were they a part of “All men are created equal?”

No, in the words of our former Presidents,

“They were just savages… they were less than human.”

Or, perhaps, to the ‘”Illegal Aliens” who scrub our floors,

Pick our fruits and vegetables, build our houses,

And mow our lawns and mulch our shrubs,

Are they part of “All men are created equal?”

No, in the words of many of us, “They are just ‘wetbacks,’”

Nameless illegals, “…Who should be sent back where they came from.”

Though we may not say it, some of us think they too are less than human.

How quickly we forget the dark side…

How soon we lay aside our guilt, insult, and pain…

We rise as a flower in the sidewalk crack,

Stepped on over and over again,

Yet, we rise and bloom from the strength of our roots.

Independence Day is a time to “Bloom”…

To draw from the strength of our roots… not to forget, but to move on

To all that we can become, in a land where in God’s eyes,

“All men are truly created equal!”

Celebrating Moments in Time

My father-in-law turned 90 a few years ago and his family and long time friends gathered in his care facility to celebrate. He enjoyed it all very much, especially the cake and ice cream.  It was a wonderful time that we will long remember, although he only remembered for the moment.  Some might wonder why go all out if he won’t remember that it happened.  I believe that although he was not able to remember, the effects on his well being lasted much longer.  The goal for someone in Alzheimer’s is to create moments that make them feel alive now, and tomorrow they will still feel better, even if they do not know why. Time with loved ones is never wasted.

We celebrated

Ninety years of connections

Winter closing in

Chocolate cake enjoyed

A very special moment

Birch trees pushing buds

Photos; Dwight L. Roth

Today at d’Verse we are celebrating birthdays. Kim asked write about a special birthday we remembered. I don’t remember any special birthday parties that I had as a child.  I decided to write about our last birthday party for my father-in-law who lived at Lifestyles Care Facility in Edmonton, AB. It was a great day for all.

Join us at: https://dversepoets.com

Call of the Surf

When we are young the idea of dying is far from our minds. That is for old people and those who are sick.  Now with Covid-19 running rampant around the world, it again seems it is the aged and sickly who don’t survive. After three months of being confined to our homes sheltering in place, many are ready to get out again. Laying aside social distancing protocol, they shed the masks and party hardy.  Between that and the recent protests, with little or no social distancing. new positive test and hospitalizations are on the increase. Some still think it won’t happen to them.

Covid-19 spikes

Many play a deadly game

Surf and Sun beckons

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Celebrate Fourth of July

Invincible youth

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Photo: Dwight L. Roth