What If We Could Make America Great Again?

Abstract

As an American citizen, I am astounded and worried that others who live in the United States will suffer because of what appears as hatefulness towards diversity. I am concerned about harsh decisions made towards immigrants, minorities, children, women, the poor, and others. With a nation as wealthy and successful as the United States, there is no reason for people to be in want and suffering. Equity and education should be among the highest priorities in this Land of the Free. During the 2016 election period, I had to take a moment to release my wandering thoughts to help ease my worries by writing a poem. I chose the format of the “What if?” poem (Rich, 2003) because of the opportunities it holds for questioning and presenting both negative and positive possibilities. By questioning “what if,” the writer is able to embed both issues of loss and social action while presenting obstacles and fears alongside visions of change and possibility. Influential American poet Adrienne Rich (2003) explained and encouraged the use of poetry to help us morn, but also remain vocal about public and cultural issues so that inequity and inhumanity cannot become “normalized and acceptable” (p. 235). In my teaching, I have used the “What if?” format with all ages of writers because of the uncomplicated opportunity it offers to express fears, wonder, and creativity. Continually asking “What if ” gives the poem unifying repetition in a rhymed or unrhymed pattern and allows for organization and strength of writing and topic. Past students’ poems have questioned “what if Goldilocks had brown skin” to explore whether the three bears might have called the police on their intruder under different circumstances and “what if everyone was the same” to highlight a friends’ cultural differences. Over a year has passed since the 2016 election, and if I wrote the poem today, Erin M. Casey Taboo, Spring 2018