America The Beautiful

----By Blood Or By Spirit ?

Not again,

O no, not again––––

Let fires be not set,

Nor bullets be shot,

Among the folks

In the neighborhoods;

Let justice be not seduced

By bias in the court,

Nor raped

By riots in the streets;

Let force be not abused

Only to unleash anger,

Nor anger abused

Only to pump disorder.

And further, deeper,

Let the right and longing be not neglected

For respect and brotherhood

In Lincoln’s Heaven-rescued land;

Nor the differences be taken for granted

Between the livings and chances

Of the whites and the colored;

Let shallow be not our concern,

Nor short be our efforts,

In mending our society’s flaws

And helping our brethren countrymen––––

Till all success be nobleness

And every gain divine.

And finally,

Let America be not united only by blood,

Nor easily divided by skin hatred;

But will through ideals and cooperation,

On fairness and mutual respect,

Be united by spirit,

And guided by love,

So as to preserve and improve

A nation so great

As no other ones before in history,

In which people have made themselves free

And unprecedentedly rich

From sea to shining sea,

And as a living example and inspiring model

For all nations to learn and excel.

May God mend our every flaw,

Confirm our souls in self-control,

Our liberty in law.

And let America be forever

America the Beautiful,

With children in whatever color

To be loved by us all.

- - - by W. H. Haisadiam in spring, 1992.

( The lyric of the original song of “America The Beautiful”

was written by Katharine Lee Bates in 1904. )　