WE:  

A Poem in Celebration of President George H.W. Bush and President William J. Clinton, 2006 Philadelphia Liberty Medal Recipients

By Dr. Mona Lisa Saloy ©

Not you, not me, not he, not she, just us

We the people. We the brave.

We the heart. We the folk.

Not Republican,  not Democrat

Not Independent.

Not Christian, not Jew,

Not Muslim, not Catholic

Not Bahai, not Buddhist

Not Mormon, not Methodist

Not Lutheran, not Anglican.

We, together for

Our greater good,

Not upper class

Not lower class, not middle class,

Not white, not Black,

Not Red, Not Brown,

Not Yellow like the sun,

Only us, a

Force against ignorance, a

Coat of We

To comfort the afflicted.

We, wrapped in together

A brace for cold or war or wind

A shelter against poverty and pain,

We, bread for a nation of neighbors,

A foundation for our future,

Neighbors to the world,

To work against poverty

Defend the helpless

Promote justice

Advance liberty.

We the people

Must remember:

"America!  America!

God sheds His Grace on thee

And crown thy good

In brotherhood . . . ."^[1]

America, it is to us this land

of black and brown and red and white, yellow

from sea to shining face to hug our faith

our parents made as firm as bold past strain

not  prejudice not poor, but our future,

our folk to build a safe big world, and free

our land, the world, neighbors, all of us, forever.

We, all of us--

Actors to carpenters, cooks to caregivers, bakers to farmers, postal workers to fishermen, artists to engineers--

We the people

Are one nation

Here to honor

The good, the great

Our leaders who work

To wake us--

We, sometimes, drunk

From the muck

Of the world--

To make life better,

You, who show courage

In the face of cowardice

To save the world.

Liberty Medal Recipients:

We honor your Work.

 "Lift every voice and sing

‘Till earth and heaven ring

Ring with the harmonies

Of liberty . . . ." [2]

We honor your work,

How you call us

How you urge us

Into one people

For our greater good.

President  George H.W. Bush and

President William J. Clinton,
We honor your work.

We the people, honor your work:

for our nations:                    Yes

for our peace:                      Na’m[3]

for our world:                       Shi[4]

for our hopes:                      Oui[5]

for our good:                       Kayn[6]

for our future:                      Hi[7]

for our neighbors:                Ja[8]

for one world:                     Neah[9]

for our posterity:                 Si[10]                    

for our common good:         Oh Oh.[11]

We give thanks.

Red Beans and Ricely
Yours
Mona Lisa Saloy