Today’s poem is “America the Beautiful Again” by Richard Blanco. Richard read his poem “One Today” at President Obama’s second inauguration. His fourth book of poetry, How to Love a Country, was published this month.
He writes: “This poem was inspired by another poem, ‘A New National Anthem,’ by Ada Limón. In light of so much political strife and bickering, I wanted to write a poem that captured my own child-like patriotism—that time when one innocently believes in the ideals of our country, before we become polarized or completely disheartened and jaded. Not the ‘my country, right or wrong’ kind of blind patriotism, but rather a more genuine and gentler patriotism that acknowledges our country's imperfections and trespasses, while also remaining committed to working toward ‘a more perfect union.’”
america the beautiful again
by Richard Blanco
HowIsangO,beautifullikeapsalmatchurch
with my mother, her Cuban accent scaling-up
every vowel: O, bee-yoo-tee-ful, yet in perfect
pitch, delicate and tuned to the radiant beams
ofstainedglasslight.Howshetaughtmetofix
myeyesonthecrucifixaswesangourthanks
to our savior for this country that saved us—
our voices hymns as passionate as the organ
piping towards the very heavens. How I sang
for spacious skies closer to those skies while
perched on my father’s sun-beat shoulders,
toweringaboveourfirstFourthof Julyparade.
How the timbre through our bodies mingled,
breathing, singing as one with the brass notes
ofthemarchingbandplayingtheonlysong
he ever learned in English. How I dared sing it
atassemblywithmyteenagevoicecracking
foramberwavesofgrainthatI’dneverseen,
northepurplemountainmajesties—butcould
imaginethemineachverserisingfrommygut,
every exclamation of praise I belted out until
mythroathurt:America!andagainAmerica!
HowIbegantoreadNietzscheanddoubtgod,
yetstillwishedforgodtoshedHisgraceon
thee,andcrownthygoodwithbrotherhood.
How I still want to sing despite all the truth
ofourwarsandourgunshotsringinglouder
thanourschoolbells,ourpoliticianssmiling
liesatthemic,thedeadlockofourdivided
voices shouting over each other instead of
singingtogether.HowIwanttosingagain—
beautiful or not, just to be harmony—from
seatoshiningsea—withtheonlycountry
I know enough to know how to sing for.
Poem copyright © 2019Richard Blanco. Reprinted from How to Love a Country, Beacon Press, 2019, by permission of the author.