I gave you all and now–
Now, look what you’ve done to it.
What once were the best minds,
Now dirty drunk with apathy bloat
Broken bruised like fallen apples
Tumbling blissful down
DC streets at dawn.
I always said you had a problem.
Should’ve listened to Uncle Allen years ago,
He saw this coming.
Don’t laugh this is serious.
I’m serious.
They’re building walls to keep those fucking Mexicans out.
Either that or they’re building walls to keep those fucking Texans in.
America, watch what you say:
Canada is listening.
They’re hanging nooses at UVA.
I’m just waiting for the South to explode.
They’re shooting children in Sanford.
I mean Dallas.
I mean Cleveland.
I mean Columbus.
California is burning.
I said,
New Orleans is still under water
And it’s only August
It’s dreadful.
America, You’re sick.
And I can’t afford to help you.
Your health insurance stopped covering you
When you dropped out of Yale.
Maybe you should stop writing and
Get a real job.
I’m not going to say you’ve got an aggression problem but
You’ve got an aggression problem.
America, watch what you say.
Canada is listening.
Watch what you say.
The Feds are listening.
Maybe we should’ve hugged you more as a child.
America your flag has been upside down since 1965.
Get yourself together.
When will you stop standing on your head?
I’m sick of your insane demands.
I will not subscribe to white Stepford culture
So just back off with your SUVs and your pearl earrings and your
Ivy league smart-ass banter.
America, I know it’s not your fault.
We’ve got a classic case of identity theft.
A fat-cat con-artist stole your credit card,
Hacked into your twitter account,
Left your public services for dead.
We’ll get you out of this mess somehow.
America, watch what you say.
Canada is listening.
America, watch what you say.
The Feds are listening.
America, watch what you say.
Our children are listening.
Our children are listening.
Our children are listening.
Get it together.
Your history unwritten is spread by the mouths
Of painted poetry sprayed on the side of
Abandoned subway cars in Manhattan
It’s all there:
A history of revolutionaries and martyrs.
A history of great thinkers and anarchists and visionaries.
A history of entrepreneurs and prophets and communists
And union workers and feminists and civil rights activists.
Of people knowing the difference between having freedom
And being free but dumb.
America, your children are talking to you
They’re trying to help.
Are you listening?
America, what will you do next?
History isn’t in the past
It is actively written every moment.
Are you going to allow them to speak for you
In 140 characters or less,
Even though they’ve never known you?
Are you going to allow them to write your story
With the same pen they use to balance their checkbooks?
America choose your words carefully,
The whole world is watching.
Great modern update to the original piece.