Being born in the USA
does not make me better.
It makes me luckier.
Winning the lottery
brings euphoria.
Sharing the winnings
brings me satisfaction.
That is love in action.
My question is always
one taught me by JFK.
Not, “what can my country
do for me?”.
But, “what can I do
for my country?”
The only way
to make America better
is to remind myself
I do not matter
more than any other
American, immigrant
or refugee.
I do not matter
more than any other
African, Asian, Latino
nor European.
Each of us hopes to be free.
Each of us has our own journey.
Some of us are luckier than others.
All of us are sisters and brothers.
My country is better
when I am better, kinder, truer
to the home of the brave
and the land of the free
where democracy demands
I stay on guard against those
who would embrace autocracy.
This is what America asks of me.
annarino writes 