Hi, everyone!
I love the United States of America. This is my country and I’m proud to be an American. That being said, just like a child gets angry at a parent or a parent at a child, sometimes I get angry at my country and vexed with the people running it.
Chance and United are this week’s prompt words chosen by Ronovan Hester of Ronovan Writes.
Ron hosts a challenge that anyone could participate in called Ronovan Writes Weekly Haiku Poetry Prompt Challenge every Monday, and you have until Sunday to create a post featuring your haiku poem. He is an author and poet and also does author interviews and much more on his blog. Be sure to check it out. Read Ron’s Haiku Prompt Challenge Guidelines for more information.
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The United States
This country should be renamed
Divided We Stand
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We may stand a chance
If labels are forgotten
and we all matter
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Let us stand as one
And keep America great
No one’s first or last
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The Writer Next Door | Vashti Q 
I think all of us who are not from the US look at it with worry… Great haiku and great reminder of the ideals behind your country.
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Many people are worried for our future here too. Thank you❣️
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A lot of emotion here. God Bless us, everyone!
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Yes! God help us too.😊💕
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I consider myself a patriot and love my country. Although I may not always agree with decisions that are made, I will always support the President of the US who holds office, no matter their political affiliations. In a perfect world, a true American would do the same, but sadly, that’s not the case. Loved your haiku, Vashti! xo
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Anger is a natural emotion and we all feel angry at times. This is perfectly normal, especially with everything that’s been happening in this country. Even people from other countries are worried for the future of this country. I respect the president because he’s our leader but I don’t agree with many of the things he’s said and done. And that’s okay. I have the right to my opinion and it doesn’t make me any less of a patriot. I would just love it, if we could all get over our petty differences and work together to make this country better. Hate will not solve any of the issues. Thank you!🙂
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I understand what you’re saying, Vashti. Both major political parties and movements aside (#metoo & #blacklivesmatter), America always appeared to be strong and good. We represented ourselves to foreign countries as honorable. Hate seems to be running rampant here and while it was probably always there, it’s shocking how many Americans are embracing the sentiment. It’s as if our leaders are contributing to the chaos. It would be good to have someone step out and lead us back to the UNITED States of America.
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Well said, Linda. I understand that there has always been hate and prejudice in this country, but I too am shocked by how many people think it’s okay to flaunt their hatred and bigotry now. There seems to be a severe lack of empathy, compassion, respect, and humanity in this country that I’ve never been aware of. I’ve never seen anything like it and it’s scary. Thanks for the great comment.😊
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As a Canadian, and with family members who live in the U.S., I’m aware of how close our ties are. Trade wars and immigration issues affect both countries and I find myself holding my breath to see what comes next.
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Hi Mark! That’s exactly how I feel. Things have been escalating for the past year and I can only hope the situation will resolve soon and in a peaceful way. Thank you. 🙂
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Vashti, I am not American but on the whole suppression and hate is terrible wherever
we find it. There is a great concern in the European countries I know.
Who believed in the beautiful quotes you included.
I am Swedish and approx. One million Swedes emigrated to America to start a new
and better life as poverty had struck year after year.
I live in England, the same happened here and as you know , every country in Europe.
All dreaming of a new land of hope and new chances.
The journeys they undertook were brave and dangerous in those day. These people
brought that courage with them.
Wishing the America I always loved to visit a peaceful and positive outcome.
Miriam
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Hello! You’re absolutely right, there are prejudice people everywhere and it’s sad. It is devastating when you see it first hand. I don’t understand what makes a person think he or she is superior to another when history has shown that in all nations there have been extraordinary people as well as dull-witted tyrants. We are all the same in God’s eyes. Thank you for visiting and for your kind words. All the best! 🙂
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Great Haiku that summed things up very nicely in not so nice times. Poetry is a good place to express thoughts and where I vent:) Have a great weekend Vashti!
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Hi Denise! Thank you very much. I agree. Poetry is a great way to express ourselves and what we’re feeling. You have a wonderful weekend too! 🙂
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It was quite evident, looking back on the years of my growing up in a small town, that the prejudices were there. Making value judgments on people according to stereotypes was, I think, still taken for granted by many. My sister and I considered ourselves to be “minority” because our small town discriminated against people who were “different from the mainstream”. A shock, when we moved out into a broader world.
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Hello Lizl! Growing up in NYC, my parents were a bit overprotective, so I was sheltered from all of that. My life involved going to school, church and getting together with family. When my family moved down to a smaller town in Florida I did get a sense of something in the air. I’m not naive, I know prejudice has always existed, but in the last couple of years many have removed their masks and shown their true colors. One thing is to be prejudice and another is to maliciously flaunt your racism to the world. I’m glad you were able to find a place where you felt good. 🙂
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Reblogged this on Where Genres Collide.
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Thanks for reblogging this post, Traci! ❤
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Beautiful haiku, Vashti, that captures the distress and hope in this troubled time. I’m so sad for this country, but I’m grateful that we are free to stand up and make our voices heard. I believe that the time-honored values of respect, kindness, and freedom will ultimately prevail. ❤
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Hello, Diana! Thank you. I also believe that, my friend. Let’s hope we’re right. ❤ xx
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I too think that respect, kindness and freedom will prevail. And I also hate all that’s happening now in our country. I will always support the president as well and I think he’s done many good things. So many people are working again, which is a real plus. But I hate to see all this hatred all over the place. I guess it’s always been there, but people are far too vocal right now, even though I believe in freedom of speech. Some of this is going way too far though, in my opinion. I have no idea what the answers are. I just hope we can all find peace soon.
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Hello, Sunni! I don’t agree with all of the president’s decisions but I do respect the fact that he’s our leader. I don’t think all his ideas are bad and I certainly don’t hate him, but there’s a way of getting things done without inciting hatred or violence between people. I don’t think it was his intentional but he did say many things in the beginning that incited racial hatred and encouraged certain individuals to threaten certain members of the population and do violent things.
There’s always been prejudice in this country––that is true, but decent, law abiding, god fearing people practiced tolerance and worked on resolving the issues of racial hatred and profiling. Now, there’s little tolerance or empathy, there’s mostly hate. Being vocal about it is just the beginning. There’s been a lot of violence as well.
You know, whether people believe it or not, whether they like it or not, this is a nation of mixed races and religions. This is the way it’s been from the beginning and it will remain that way. So we just need to find a way to coexist peacefully, because the alternative is much worse. I don’t know all the answers either. I hope our president figures it out. I hope for peace too. ❤
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This poem is very sad, Vashti. It is discouraging that the American people are struggling politically.
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It’s a sad situation, Robbie. I do have faith that things will sort themselves out eventually, but at the moment it’s a bit chaotic. We are struggling but, I have hope for the future. Thank you for visiting and commenting. ❤ xx
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