dear 1776,

dear 1776,

you probably don't remember me

sorry i don't always stand up during the pledge
i used to
sorry i don't always romanticize you during the national anthem
i take off my hat
but that's only because everyone's watching

i first met you in grade school
i tried to memorize you
but it was just infatuation
i thought you looked really good on that shirt
they waited to tell me about slavery
we didn't even know each other

the war didn't end with you, that's when it started
america has been burning ever since
the revolution will definitely be televised
forget the hashtags
i'm wondering if any lives matter

north v south, east v west
america is a rap battle
america is a youtube fist fight

i'm listening to beyonce's lemonade while i write this poem
maybe that's why i'm angry
maybe that's why i'm taking a baseball bat to your fire hydrants america
maybe that's why i got my homegirls with me throwing up our middle fingers
but hold up,
they don't love you like I love you,
slow down,
they don't love you like I love you,
let's end with love and forgiveness
someone hold my green card while i french kiss the statue of liberty

what a wicked way to treat the girl that loves you
your founding fathers were just kids
franklin was 70, but hamilton was only 21
playing with guns and other inventions
we're all just a hypothesis in this experiment
with no control

thanks for the pursuit
it's more than anyone else has ever done for me
you're like nowhere else

i'm listening to the liberty bell ring as i write this poem
i can still hear it