I Have a Dream: Inaugural Poems for a New Generation

OWEN MILLER America, A Country in Pain As an American it is your right to be happy when we wake up we put a smile on our face and walk out the door Under that fake smile is a person suffering the cruelty of this world Yet, the saying “fake it until you make it” is one that holds true in our daily lives Fake happiness, false hope that all the bad things will just go away Because with any light there is always shade, when the light fades you are left with darkness Sorrow is unavoidable, pain inevitable and our scared, dark past inescapable It has been a long painful road, with many bright spots and many mistakes to learn from and improve on Our future is bright with lots to look forward to for us to attain the prize of happiness The everpresent pain and suffering of all remains lurking in the shadows A shame really, we long for a goal that seems unattainable and the only thing coming to us is unbearable pain Alas, we can make the light brighter, by punching hard to reach out goals and attain peace Yet here and now, we struggle through daily life, hoping for the best yet receiving the worst In this day and age, for what has felt like an endless cycle of minor improvements followed by horrific fails We look for the good in life, and try to change what is broken to help build our national sense of equality and happiness There is little to look forward to now, yet we still fixate our vision on it as to not lose our way and go insane Fake it until you make it, awful advice that we blindly follow not knowing where we are going nor our destination Fake smiles are on all of us, we are all suffering inside no matter if it’s miniscule or immeasurable False hope your phony smile will bring true satisfaction Yet as an American, it’s our right to pursue happiness as we please, so we follow this road in the hopes we reach our goal 86