An American Ballad
(On the 30th year living in America, celebrating my 4th of July, 2005)
You hate America?
Stop receiving her benevolence
Which came from not only the whites,
But also those who've come here after them.
You hate America? You hate the world.
You hate America?
Tell your children, never dream
Dreams of growing up one day,
Walking on the campus of Harvard, Yale, Stanford
You hate America? You hate the world.
You hate America?
Tell your children the true history
Europe, France and England were saved
As America sacrificed her beloved sons and daughters
You hate America? You hate the world.
You hate America?
Tell your people to stand up for their Human Rights
Curse at all the human beings on Earth who dream to travel here.
Curse at the Americans who saved the Muslims -- victims of the tsunami.
You hate America? You hate the world.
You hate America?
Please visit the campus of Mayo Clinic, Shriners Hospital…
The children around the world are cared for
By the free spirited Americans, totally free of charge.
You hate America? You hate the world.
You hate America?
Curse at the hospital ship USNS Mercy
She went to sea on a mission of humanity
Healing the wounds of the tsunami victims
You hate America? You hate the world.
You hate America?
Ask the Western Union
How many millions of dollars each day
Are being sent home to feed you.
You hate America? You hate the world.
You hate America?
Commune with the Vietnamese Boat People
Who did not make it to the shores of freedom
200,000 entombed in the South China Sea
You hate America? You hate the world.
You hate America?
Then continue to be slaves to Saddam Hussein
Create a new land in the desert
And give him back his ill-gotten crown.
You hate America? You hate the world.
You hate America?
Come to my hospital, Rancho Los Amigos National Rehab
See the faces of not only the whites, but also blacks, yellows, browns
They came from your motherland.
You hate America? You hate the world.
You hate America?
Open your eyes
See the long lines of your fellow citizens
They wait patiently at the U.S. Embassy from dawn to dusk.
You hate America? You hate the world.
You hate America?
She has cared for all nationals in the world
Whose lottery-winning is a ticket to the land of the free
She stands for human dignity, pursuit of happiness
You hate America? You hate the world.
You hate America?
Home of my model poet Emily Dickinson
Who has influenced me to write poetry in English
Her poems have been the lighthouse of my life.
You hate America? You hate the world.
You hate America?
Find a free country that has no shortcomings.
Give me a day without the night.
Give me the sun without the moon.
You hate America? You hate the world…
Linh Duy Vo ©
30 years after the fall of Saigon
Poet's Note: This poem is being mailed to the Arab world
in care of Aljazeera net TV Station at P.O. Box 22300, Doha - Qatar. It is hoped that you, too, will take the time to send this piece of writing to the Aljazeera administrators in the spirit of America.
© Copyright by Linh Duy Vo. All rights reserved.