July… a month, which on the 4th, officially celebrates our patriotic feelings about the formation of our nation… a time normally spent together with family and friends, enjoying each other’s company…

EXCEPT… avoiding Covid-19 has changed our habits this year, and maybe even our thoughts as we continue to wash our hands… and safely distance… at home.

It has given me plenty of time to examine the concept “Patriotism” and what it means to me. An earlier poem in my book MILESTONES, called "E. M. Forster Speaks For Me", carries a similar theme to this, my July (2020) Poem Of The Month.

EXAMINING PATRIOTISM
“Unhappy the land that is in need of heroes.” - Bertolt Brecht

Mark Twain said: “Patriotism is supporting your country…
… all the time,” as he paused in his thought;
Then added: “and your government (only) when
It deserves it!” (a passing shot.)

Teddy Roosevelt said: “Patriotism means to stand by the country…”
Then added a clarification quite sound:
“It does not mean standing by any public official
Unless he or she serves the country.” (words profound!)

The English writer, Julian Barnes, said: “The greatest patriotism
Is to tell your country when it’s behaving [badly];”
To make it accountable to all of its people.
Is that happening here at home? No… sadly.

And Edward Abbey, essayist and novelist,
Wrote these words —it’s clear what he meant:
“A patriot must always be ready to defend
His country against his government.”

Benjamin Franklin uttered this, and somehow it applies
To the present ungainly situation:
“You can give a man an Office,” (elected by the people)
“But you cannot give him Discretion.”

What we in our country really want
Is an America as good as its commitment.
Our Constitution outlines those promises very clearly.
Are they unfolding in the way they were meant?

Our Constitution is a wonderful gift,
But it has no power on its own.
We, the People, give it meaning. We must participate…
The outcomes are up to us, it has been shown.

Being an optimist by nature, the idea for June’s Poem of the Month came into being as a logical extension following my April (Leadership), and May (Interdependence), Poems of the Month. No matter how sad or how uncomfortable the news might be to watch there is always an element of hope that (with a lot of hard work on everyone’s part) things will change and be better.

Before any possibilities can be considered, they first need to be put into words so everyone can have a look at them.

Here, poetically, is my contribution to the subject.

POSSIBILITIES (WHAT IF?)

The mind is an amazing, wonderful thing!
What people can think about can be most exciting…
Or not… it depends on what their hearts can hold.
Is it warmth and kindness, or bitter cold?

I choose to ponder the warmer, kinder heart
Which shows compassion and practices the art
Of working together with others for the benefit
Of an all-inclusive world… a dream, I admit.

It’s the possibility of having a dream come true
That makes life interesting… and to continue—
When nothing is sure, everything is possible.
Every day holds the possibility of a miracle!

A Buddhist monk, by the name Thich Nhat Hanh,
Wrote about possibility — his words a voice of reason —
Clear and concise, the meaning quite intelligible:
“Because you are alive, everything is possible.”

What if a transformation could take place?
What if — instead of confrontation face to face
Between two camps so divisive and stubborn —
They could come together and cooperatively govern?

What if… people wanted to take care of each other,
Coming together for common good, sister and brother?
What if… our beautiful planet could thrive,
And each and everyone of us could feel more alive?

What if… our air could be breathable again,
And our fish in the oceans, in good health, could swim
What if… all of us experienced good health?
What if friendship and cooperation were measures of wealth?

So many things are possible when we think they are!!
Our possibilities are endless; imagination will take us far!
With possibilities, we begin each new day.
Let’s get started on the possibilities straightaway!

Thanks so much for your feedback on April’s Poem of the Month, Leadership! Your words of praise put my “doing” brain to work and as a result, from me…

1. All 50 Governors received a letter with a copy of the poem in it.

2. Mayors of the largest 116 cities in the United States received the same.

3. A couple of days later I sent a letter and the poem to all 100 Senators.

4. And finally, I selected 114 Congressmen and Congresswomen to be the recipient of a letter and the poem.

The subject of May’s Poem of the Month, I believe, is a natural next step in the chain of subjects about which each and every one of us must certainly be aware. It is Interdependence! Our interdependence on others was demonstrated admirably this past couple of months.

The Covid-19 Pandemic has shown us just how incredibly interdependent all mankind is… all of us around the globe play a very important part in each other’s lives, whether we have ever met or not. Think about it.

A big thank you to the Front Line workers (medical, police and fire); to all the “essential” workers who risked exposure, and to all of you who safely distanced and washed your hands and didn’t touch your face.

We cannot survive without each other, and this Pandemic has brought this fact home to all of us.

Please enjoy the Poem of the Month for May. It was such a pleasure to write.

INTERDEPENDENCE

“Interdependence is a fundamental law of nature!”
Did you understand the words in the above line?
“Interdependence is a fundamental law of nature!”
They’re the wise words of the Dalai Lama, not mine.

Interdependence means that what affects you directly
Will affect everyone else in an indirect way.
We are all individual parts of a magnificent whole,
Combining our efforts with others’ to make headway.

“No man is an island, entire of itself…”
John Donne, a 16th century poet, made this statement.
We belong, all of us, to one human family,
Surrounded by nature and our environment.

The further a person drifts away from nature
The less able he is to practice interdependence.
As our interdependence increases, on the whole,
We do better when others do better; there’s evidence.

Interdependence is a device only independent people can make;
There is no such thing as a “self-made” man!
We are all made up of thousands of others’ inputs —
Kind deeds, or words of encouragement, help us do what we can.

“Before you even ate breakfast this morning,
You’ve depended on more than half the planet.”
Martin Luther King, Jr., said those words; and he’s right!
(And you’ve depended upon many more by sunset.)

All people and things are interdependent.
No nation can solve its problems alone.
We need each other, and the sooner we learn it,
We’ll survive the storm together, truth be known.

Resolution of the problems is dialogue, and lots of it,
When people, or countries, or cultures collide.
With honesty and courage and an ear to listen,
Dialogues occur and differences subside.

We should be evolving with a new world view
That maintains one simple proposition:
That all of nature — humans, animals, earth —
Are interconnected and interdependent, and not in opposition.