O say can you see

Just how far we’ve come.

The injustice in our country

Is a battle far from won.

People line the streets

Their anger boils, it’s timeless.

Same problems on repeat,

Most solvable by kindness.

But kindness stays unknown

Because the tensions at hand

Keep multiplying on their own;

They’ve escaped their creators’ command.

It’s hard to watch it happen

At my desk, I feel powerless.

I wish I could see people laughin’

Heal the problems, fix the mess.

The homelessness, the hunger,

Xenophobia, disregard of rights,

All pull my stomach asunder;

Terrors that inspire restless nights.

The biggest terror of all, however

Is the government’s inaction

Without condoning it, they tether

Their legacy to social fraction.

The first step is to publicly attone:

Create responses where none exist.

The government must condone

The horrors so they desist.

Recommit to religious freedom,

Create policy to address quarrels.

Leaders must act; the people need them

To redefine true American morals.

To address nationwide polarization,

Acknowledge the concerns of the brave.

But stress the importance of cooperation:

So our star spangled banner may wave.