Desert Dweller

What happened to our pride,
our respect for ideals and each other?
When will America
become a country again?

The second American revolution
hasn’t begun.
I guess we’re waiting

for the next level of tyranny:
the next abuse of power,
the next big lie,
the next door kicked in.

We spent billions
and buried astronauts
to grab a few souvenirs from the moon.

What if instead we had invested
in renewable energy and regenerative agriculture?

Are the ones at the top mad,
or are we the crazy ones
for electing them—
and allowing them to stay?

In 1811,
Joseph de Maistre wrote:
Every nation
gets the government it deserves.

We spent billions
developing atom bombs and stealth bombers.

We sacrificed men and women
in foreign countries to secure petroleum.

What if instead we had invested
in universal healthcare and affordable housing?

Would we still build border walls,
imprison immigrants,
send masks and badges
to kill with impunity?

Countries are made
of wars and outrage.

Our founders
fought for a country
of opportunity,
freedom, and justice.

Will America ever be that place?

© 2026 Bruno Talerico
28/365.