The New Americans

by George Salamon / March 12th, 2023

Why can’t we confront
what’s gone and lost?
When tent cities rose in
depression and dustbowl
days of the Thirties, our
citizens shuddered and
whispered to those close:
“There, but for the grace of
God, goes me.”
Today the eyesores must be
removed and hidden, they’re
bad for business, you know.
We rarely ask “How does it
feel to be you?”
Only love and wisdom prompt
such questions, release the
empathy within, make another
life visible and awaken the spirit
in two bodies, becoming aware of
itself in both.
The distance remains, the
estrangement prevails.

George Salamon lives in St. Louis, MO, where he did not grow up. Read other articles by George.

This article was posted on Sunday, March 12th, 2023 at 8:03am and is filed under Poetry.