23/05/2024
Pity the nation whose people are sheep,
and whose shepherds mislead them.
Pity the nation whose leaders are liars, whose sages are silenced,
and whose bigots haunt the airwaves.
Pity the nation that raises not its voice,
except to praise conquerors and acclaim the bully as hero
and aims to rule the world with force and by torture.
Pity the nation that knows no other language but its own
and no other culture but its own.
Pity the nation whose breath is money
and sleeps the sleep of the too well fed.
Pity the nation — oh, pity the people who allow their rights to erode
and their freedoms to be washed away.
My country, tears of thee, sweet land of liberty. ~Lawrence Ferlinghetti
(Book: Ferlinghetti's Greatest Poems https://amzn.to/49qBP5s)
(Art Credit: Lesley Oldaker)
Lawrence Ferlinghetti, an American poet and co-founder of the City Lights Bookstore and publishing house, published "Pity the Nation" in his collection "A Coney Island of the Mind" in 1958. While Ferlinghetti did not write "Pity the Nation" himself, he included it in his collection, showcasing his admiration for Gibran's work and highlighting the poem's relevance to contemporary social and political issues. Ferlinghetti's connection to the poem lies in its inclusion in his influential collection.
