Today Liberty cried.
She cried for America;
She mourned for the tired, the poor,
the huddled masses yearning to breathe free.
The wretched refuse of teeming shores.
Today Liberty cried.
She cried for refugees,
She grieved for the mothers of exiles,
the homeless, tempest-tossed unfree.
The imprisoned children at sterile borders.
Today Liberty cried.
She cried for us.
She bemoaned our conquering limbs,
the storied pomp, the silent lips.
The locked gates and desperate voices.
Today Liberty cried.
She cried for Freedom;
She wailed for our loss of brotherhood,
our lack of liberty in law.
America, America, no grace for thee.
- Jo Anne Harris 6/19/2018
Jo Anne Harris Rowland 