“Let America be America again, Let it be the dream it used to be. Let it be the pioneer on the plain, Seeking a home where he himself is free.”
This wonderful excerpt from Langston Hughes’ poem is profound in its extraction from the whole and applies to the direction of today’s newly ordered society. And, interestingly enough, although it speaks to us in an abridged fashion, the message of the original poem in its entirety is focused on the idea that the American dream is nigh on impossible.
I love the manner in which the words “Let America Be America…” rings in my ear. In this unprecedented time of life, we are all experiencing feelings of not knowing what to think, what to do, or how to do what is required. Our government is moving through the pandemic at an unparalleled rate, and our society is divided through politics and racial violence. I long for a time when ‘our America’ is given the latitude to become America again. I pray for peace every day.
Hearing a child’s prayer at night, “God bless Mommy, God bless Daddy, and God, please fix the world…” makes me ponder how deep the divide has become. Our innocent children are affected; the vigor and strength of their youth compromised by uncertainty. We will hand them a broken world if we can not unite on what America should, and can be.
We have surrendered too much of the past to give up on the future. So, let the opening words of the insightful poet, Mr. Hughes, stay in your thoughts and on your lips. It is a good a mantra as any.