These Are My JOTtings...

Ode to America

How the sparks of freedom fly
through our days and nights so high!
Gentle people business mind,
while the King to us is kind,
but his overbearing reach
causes us to Freedom teach.

On July the 4th be writ
Declaration with great wit.
Year of 1776
wrongs be right, assayed to fix.
Words to Majesty not light,
wish we did not have to fight.

With lofty cause and honored stance,
We often wrote that hopeful chance
that grieved offenses would yet cease
and place in Commonwealth increase,
the ear of George, the third, our king
was all we wished to make us sing.

Alas, abusive as a spouse,
who knoweth not to run a house,
expansive goals we set aside.
Divorce this king, our grace decried,
but still, we hoped that good be done
as stationed place in world be won.

Unanimous our statement made.
Necessity our hand had played.
Dissolve we did our friendship long,
then forced to sing our Freedom's song.
Our separation's causes list
So many were, we give the gist.

"We hold these truths so clearly plain,
that men are equal, right as rain.
"Endowed by God with Rights all ours
of life and Freedom, joyous hours.
"Our Government is made of men,
permitted rule, though still in sin."

When point we finger at the King,
we've three at us our sins to sing.
For by his hand we suffered much,
though at our hands some suffered touch.
We felt ourselves were royal slaves,
though dark were skins we sent to graves.

He made us do his very will.
He taxed for his own soul's thrill.
He overthrew our property.
The King was valued more than we.
He forced our citizens to fight
for his own cause. How great our plight!

Yet, slaves, our own great leaders owned,
who came from Africa, dark-toned.
Our European Freedom's writ
its words entoned our sin's admit.
Corrections tested Freedom's floor
in 1812 and Civil War.

At end of that, one Honest Abe
declared the freedom of each slave,
but freedom must be won in heart,
before real days of freedom start.
In eighteen hundred sixty-three
slaves were marked as being free.

A woeful hundred years then passed
with former slaves still second-classed,
while women's voice was lately new
with vote, but little power true.
We see that Freedom's set on course
by Laws, it's strength is heart's resource.

America, with all your sin,
you've still great Hope to live within
for people of all colors speak
in rhymes and texts new heights to seek.
Police we must our hearts by Grace,
if tyranny we would erase.

America, you owe great thanks
to God, Who bookends all your banks.
This Christ of Grace your sins will touch,
until confess you just as much.
Great balance bear between the place
of Justice, Freedom lived in Grace.

America, the Beautiful,
your Freedom is with duty full.
May God thy gold of ev'ry kind
in purity by fires refined
that when Success He will finally bless
your Godlike heart in nobleness
would honor One, Who made this world
in Whom is Heart of Love, unfurled.

by Jay O'Toole
on July 4th, 2018