My country, tears of thee, sweet land of liberty. 



Amy Goodman interviewed Lawrence Ferlinghetti the 88 year old founder of City Lights Bookstore in SF. He read a new poem of his about which he said, "I really want to get this out". 

  PITY THE NATION (After Khalil Gibran) 
 
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 with 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. 

Posted: Sun - September 23, 2007 at 01:32 PM            

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