World Book Day

[maggiebee]

Lots to celebrate today, but I thought I would share one of my favourite poems.  Lawrence Ferlinghetti wrote "Pity The Nation" in 2007 at the age of 88.  He died in 2021 at the age of 101.

 

“PITY THE NATION”
Lawrence Ferlinghetti 

Pity the nation whose people are sheep
And whose shepherds mislead them

Pity the nation whose leaders are liars
Whose sages are silenced
And whose bigots haunt the airwaves

Pity the nation that raises not its voice
Except to praise conquerors
And acclaim the bully as hero
And aims to rule the world
By force and by torture

Pity the nation that knows
No other language but its own
And no other culture but its own

Pity the nation whose breath is money
And sleeps the sleep of the too well fed

Pity the nation oh pity the people
who allow their rights to erode
and their freedoms to be washed away

My country, tears of thee
Sweet land of liberty!

 

[littlebit95]

Awesome ! Thanks for sharing.!