My America Is Not A Country Poem by Joseph D E Phillips

My America is an idea.
Many nations will fall and rise
but as long as ideas live
my America will never die.

My America is not a country.
No borders or boundaries surround it.
No fences will keep you away.
This idea is for everyone:

gay, straight and bi
white, black, brown, blue
man, woman, cis, trans
child, elder too.

No matter where you live
on this small blue speck
my America is for you.

In my America
all ideas are welcome at the table.
They are discussed and analyzed.
They are put under a microscope.
They are run through the scientific method,
by any who desire to do so,
to determine what works best.

In my America
all voices are welcome at the table
Whether you be Christian, Muslim, Sikh
Buddhist or Jew, Hindu or atheist,
Your voice and beliefs will be discussed and scrutinized
by any who desire to do so,

but you are never shut up by force.
You are never told your voice is not allowed
in my America.

In my America
whistleblowers are celebrated
instead of punished.
Blow a trumpet, better yet.
Let no power over us be wielded in secrecy.

In my America
all people are equal.
No government has the right
to take that away.

My America is not a country.
Everyone has the right
to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
regardless of where they happened to be
the day they squeezed from their mother's womb.

My America is an invincible idea.
You cannot destroy it
or take it from the minds of those who hold it.

But if you like my America,
Make it yours with each, rising breath.
Step into it every morning.
Speak it
with every word that escapes your parched lips.
Give it with every touch
of your tired,
work ridden fingers