American Hymn

For the broken people
on the side of the road
by the shopping center
with their signs and hope;

for the lost people
in the crap apartments
on the side streets high upon
the hills above the highway;

for the terrified people
staring into the news-abyss
and knowing the edge is sliding back
underneath their feet;

for the self-loathing people
sitting crumpled,
dying to be and do no more,
dying to be forgotten;

for those somehow happy
in spite of all this, moving
at their own speed above
the misery of this town, this world;

let’s have someone sing one song
for all of us, let’s have someone
lead a round of voices murmuring
or shouting, no matter; 

whatever the melody
let’s have someone sing a song
to bring it all into one place
and pull us all into that place with them;

for those somehow
thinking we are not all under
the same song, let them open
their eyes

and at the least
behold the rest of us singing,
even if they do not choose
to sing along.