Locked Out

There’s a lock on the door
to the land of the free
always before it opened
the path to opportunity

It’s beginnings weren’t as noble
as we innocently pretend
We stole the land from its people
and never made true amends

Since then the unexplored vastness
magnetically drew a deluge
of colorful, diverse immigrants
all commonly seeking refuge

Almost none were treated well
but all endured through stormy weather
united by a common dream of the future
for their children: to make things better

So let us not become too comfortable with our power
closing the gates with xenophobic scorn
because ignoring pleas for fair immigration
is like wishing our country hadn’t been born