America, the Shining City in the Universe

America — the shining city in the universe!

A star of compassion, of courage, of love,

Cool unlike any other star above,

Where happy people thrived in every quarter,

Rich in heart, in hope, in open water.

But corporate hands grew heavy, hoarding more,

While honest work found less than what it bore.

And from afar, on terms unfair and wide,

Came trade that hollowed towns and dimmed our pride.

Then something stirred — not one voice, but a chorus,

The quiet many, steady and before us:

The farmer, nurse, and welder, side by side,

Who mend a nation with their patient pride.

Now faith rekindles, the dawn ascends —

America — the shining city in the universe!

— Meda Parameswara Reddy, Ph.D.