In schools, we are taught that America is the name of the dream
That America is like a paradise for pioneers
That America is the oasis of equality
That America is the utopia of the supreme.

But let me tell you this,
To not believe what our hypocritical society says
To recognize that there are more than just a few problems
Fractures in our dreams amiss

Education is taken like a pill
Intoxicated by its oppressive forces,
We learn that numbers define who we are
When real success comes with personality and skill.

They cover the ground with overpriced chiffon
And construct rich shopping malls,
To bury up what they don’t want us to know,
So we forget what this country is built on:

The bodies of the tortured immigrants
The bodies of the diseased Native Americans
The bodies of the enslaved Africans
But will white supremacy, misogyny, and racism ever appease?

They tell us that everyone’s physical appearance is comfortable
But then they turn around and call us “fat” and “disgusting.”
They tell us to be ourselves
But then disect with their degrading comments.

A teen tells her elders that she’s feeling sad
And that the doctor has diagnosed her with depression
But mental illness is not treated like cancer
So she still has to go to school, too bad!

And when she grabs the knife,
They say, “If only she had told someone.”
They say, “If only she had been braver,”
Because a person becomes more appreciated when death takes her life.

It’s always a girl’s fault when men talk about these things
Because she should take it as a “compliment”
Because men think the word “female” is synonymous with “good for a night”
So they curse, torture, and assault.

A boy passes out drunk after a party,
But all everyone does is take pictures
They share them online with homophobic comments;
How many Instagram likes can compensate for this?

So what can I do about this?
Absolutely nothing to any degree.
Because politics is a corrupt competition over who has the most money,
And those ignorant will continue to dismiss.

Because in this country we call the land of the free,
People are killed over their religion and gender,
While million watch, unknowing, desensitized, and helpless
And America is not the paradise that it should be.