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American Sobriety
By Dan Buzi

Oh say can you see,
By the dawn's early light,
A drunkard sitting sober
Contemplating, head down, slouched shoulers?
Can you see his thoughts? A thousand images
Shared by America all over
The crumbled buildings,
Broken dreams,
Shattered as the glass around him
With his head down, and slouched shoulders


"God bless America," he mutters
"Land that I love. Stand beside her"
"And" his words crumble into mumbling tears.
But his cheeks aren't wet for his own troubles
Not after so many years
They are not wet for the arm he lost long ago,
Fighting for the land that he loves
Nor for his long lonely nights huddled into cardboard.


Drop by drop his tears fall as love
Dripping from his cheek to make mud,
Of the gray ask around him.


He weeps for the wounded and weeps for the dead
All of those who will surely pass away
If war beings again


Oh say can you see,
By the dawn's early light,
A drunkard sitting sober,
One arm, one war,
His head hanging low, slouched shoulders?


"En Gloria Patria e Filio, e Spiritue Sancto," he prays
That no one else will have to die
The way he died long before today.
"There is no honor in kiling" he mumbles,
And drops the full bottle to shatter,
As he slowly walks away.


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