Hi all! Below is a poem by Jose Mendoza, our guest writer of the month. Please check out his work and drop a comment!
The American Dream
By Jose Mendoza
The American Dream, where anyone can be anything, and we all are successful
Where we can do what we want, and we are all happy
Where an immigrant can come find work and live the life, they want
Where a person seeking refuge is welcomed in full
Where everyone is treated equal
Where everything is perfect, yes everything, that idea is not obscure
The American dream, which is only best described as what it is called, a dream
The American Dream
Where a deadly weapon is praised like a higher power
Yet preys on the happiest souls
Where that same “recreation”
Is responsible for at least 24,000 deaths a year
But protect the guns they say, give us our guns they say, we are protecting ourselves they say
Where 61 died in Las Vegas Nevada at a concert
In the 20th century alone, 312 in schools
49 at a nightclub, and just more to name
But yet, they needed protection because schools are so threatening, and so is country music too
But do not let this fool you, teachers need them too
But nevertheless, we need them, we really do, after all, what else is there to do?
The American Dream
Where our Lives are protected by the best, do you not believe me? Afterall, it is on their cars
Who else are we going to rely on when a fake 20-dollar bill is passed, they get straight to the job
Sitting on someone’s neck to watch them pay their dues
But if it was a public shooter, they will talk to them smooth
You see after all, we care more on the crime of someone’s skin, rather than the ones they commit
Racist? No, Never that! That is just what our old friend Jim Crow would tell us to do!
Where help, is just a call away at all times
Except that call often takes forever to go through and by that time it is too late
But even after all the police brutali… I mean accidents have been cleared
They’re still here to protect and serve, ready for those near
The American Dream
The Land of opportunity!
Where walls are built to keep those seeking a better life are kept out
But when we go over, it’s a vacation
Where on stolen land, we are the true Americans
If they wanted it so badly, they could have fought for it themselves
We are the stronger most powerful, and we earned this land ourselves
Where 10.1 Million Americans are currently unemployed
Where In 2018, jobs were at an all-time High!
Where in 2018, There was also an all time high to people quitting and being fired!
But we won’t mention it, why?
Because why mention it when the most important thing to Mr. President is what’s happening over seas
The American Dream
Where in order to get a good paying job, you must first go into immense debt
Why you may ask, well the college needs to fund their athletics somehow
Where education is harder to get than a car
But that can’t be right?
The student debt amount is at 1.6 trillion
Yet, automotive revenue is at 632 Billion?
Still don’t believe me. That’s fine, they’ll teach you all about it in school for the low price of 50,900
Not to mention teachers, bless their hearts, trust me they get paid enough though
7.8 percent of our population, yet 100 percent responsible for our future
But either way, they can get by on what they make, after-all those new golf karts won’t buy themselves
The American Dream
Where health care is so hard to come by
Yet you need it because you wouldn’t want to die
Where in other parts in the world, it’s free and no charge
But what fun is that people can pay it, and if not, out of pocket
Except when you have to sit there and die because you couldn’t afford it
In 2015, over 1 million adults went bankrupt due to the high prices
It really can’t be that bad?
Just ask this lady, who on June 29th of 2018, pleaded for no one to call an ambulance, she couldn’t afford it
Keep in mind, her leg was stuck between a train and platform, blood and skin there, left to suffer
The American Dream
Where in 2016-2020 $55,200,000 of taxpayer money was funded for our president’s golf trips
Where this same president, spent 26.1 billion dollars for an incomplete wall
But don’t get me wrong, this man is a smart guy
After all, he did host The Apprentice
And was the bestest of friends with some of the worst dictators in history
The list goes on and on, but to write about the greatness that this man brought
Him and his patriotism group of people have brought
Well, that would be a whole other poem, this is what we got
The American dream
where seeking change is so wrong, and we should stay true to our roots
Where things such as #metoo #blm women’s marches and the list goes on is so wrong
Yet storming the capital is so right, we do it for what’s right
The American Dream
Where systematic inequality is what our country is ran on
The rich will be rich
The poor will stay poor
The Kardashians make millions
And A doctor Is paying off his debt and trying to make it by
Where you are often born into your forever living situation
And there’s not much you can do
But why would you when you can follow in your families footsteps
Like father like son
Like mother like daughter
The American dream
Where the reason it’s called what it is
Is because “you have to be asleep to believe it”
A so called first world country is living with past beliefs
Where racism and discrimination is live and active more than ever
Where guns are our safety, but also our first line for revenge
Where health care is more expensive than death
Where you never finish school, because it’s always being paid
Where the people we use to protect us are often the ones we need to fear the most
Where People of color are scared to be alone because of the harsh reality and mindset that is still alive to this day
Where a doctor will make more than a teacher, yet a teacher is who taught them to get where they are
Where real problems ae often overlooked because of something better
Where the rich stay rich and the poor become poorer
Where you will never be what you want
When you are your stereotype
Where you can be who you want, do what you want to do, and be who you want to be
So, help, as long as you are the ideal person of an old “American” world
The American nightmare
Land of the broken promises
Home of the oppressed
The Harrison Pawprint 
All I can say is, wow! I was immediately pulled into this piece and didn’t want it to end. I connected so strongly with every single word and unfortunately felt validation, frustration, and disappointment in the truth behind so much of this. Thank you for writing something that can tug at my emotions so beautifully. Wonderful work! Thank you for sharing.
LikeLike
Your work really brought me memories of what life for me used to be back them. Things that you mentioned really caught my attention as there are many people that immigrate to the U.S to live ” The American Dream.” Great job on involving this piece im sure a lot of us were able to relate to this. Keep up the good work!
LikeLike
I was left surprised at the end of this reading. As I was reading, most of these things made sense since ive experienced this before. Unfortunately today people still immigrate to the U.S for a better success. called “The American Dream.” Thank you for speaking up for other people as well, great job on this post!
LikeLike
Profound! Thank you for sharing!
LikeLike
Jose, this is such an impactful poem of sadly, so many truths! You wrote it so well from start to finish. The start was the image and the ending the reality. I appreciate you sharing this poem, it is beautifully done and I love the examples you give to explain your thoughts. Loved this poem so much!
LikeLike