Picnics, parties, marches, laughter,
Potato salad, apple pie…
Friends and families united
And fireworks lit up the nighttime sky.

Some, however, couldn't partake--
Some with horrific stories to tell,
Who, if they could see the fireworks,
Had to watch them from a cell.

Parents separated from children
Here seeking refuge learned
How the rules of immigration
Can be so quickly overturned.

Some are forced to be deported
To Mexico and beyond--
Forced to leave their kids behind,
Denied due process, denied even bond.

The president and his admin team--
These our heroes! These our champs!--
Propose a plan to reunify
Families in internment camps!

Refuge seekers torn apart
Learned not in a pretty way
How people in America
Honor Independence Day.

If Lady Liberty were able,
She’d lay down her tablet and flame
And raise up her hands in order
To hide her tearful face in shame.  

-by Bob B (7-5-18)