a nebulous black storm gathers
against the eagle-ledged horizon
winds of malice chill the air
tearing ethics into remnants
of once sunlit common bonds
blotting out the sacred beacons
of hope and cooperation
dividing the great experiment
with corporate clouds of greed

as streams of misinformation
swell into a raging political river
threatening the banks of decency
to reshape a cherished way of life,
we must stand shoulder to shoulder
cast aside our petty differences
while stacking sandbags of reform
that embrace the greater good
and save the house of liberty

Chandler, Arizona ‘16