For my Day 16 poem, I engage in a bit of misdirection. The prompt: https://www.napowrimo.net/day-sixteen-10/.

No, it’s not number one
the land of the free
or the home of the brave

It is not the best or the brightest
the safest or the fairest

It is not peaceful
or highly educated

It is not realistic
and it is not objective
or even sensible

It does not have the best of everything
or the brightest future

It doesn’t want to make anything itself
because then it couldn’t afford to buy what it makes

It is not morally superior
or uniquely blessed

It has not come to terms with its history
and does not plan for the future

It is not a shining city on a hill
or a beacon of hope

It is not the greatest
and it is not exceptional

It is not the best place on earth
or even the happiest

It’s just home

(15 April 2023—posted 16 April 2023)

 

 

---

Order Wishes sometimes have consequences from your favorite local bookstore!

IndieBound search: https://www.indiebound.org/search/book?keys=wishes+sometimes+have+consequences

If they can’t get it for you, you can always find it on Amazon:
Hardcover: https://smile.amazon.com/Wishes-Sometimes-Consequences-Kevin-OConner/dp/0998878154/
Paperback: https://smile.amazon.com/Wishes-Sometimes-Consequences-Kevin-OConner/dp/0998878162/

Information about my other books can be found here.