I dream that I’ll awake one day
and find Amerika sunk
some bubbles where
two oceans meet
floating Coke cans ticker tape
all that’s left of Uncle Sam
I’d have no pity
no glycerine tears
like The Titanic the good
would go down with the bad
some might be saved
I alone would decide
I hate Amerika
all that Freeworld stuff
and Liberty
all that moonshine democracy
I weep for the Scottsboro Boys
I mourn old Sacco and Vanzetti
I wouldn’t fling a line to LBJ
or launch a raft
for any White House gang
given a chance I might
shove the wretches under
screaming and raging
that’s for Korea
that’s for Vietnam
and that’s….
for bubblegum you bums
I hate Amerika
all that pious apple pie
all that poisonous ice cream
all those shoot-outs
all those cops
all those company strikebreakers
in cosy Florida retirement homes
some Americans I’ve loved
some Americans I’d snatch
from the sea
Clint Eastwood Doris Day
Aretha Franklin Marvin Gaye
a few musicians
the odd poet – Chuck Berry say
but the rest
can go down singing
my country tis of thee
Jeff Cloves
(circa 1970?)
NOTE: The Vietnam War (1955-75)
came to an end with the fall of Saigon
The Rolling Thunder Operation (1965-68)
a policy of saturation bombing in North Vietnam
was a strategic failure and led to
A US government enquiry August-September ’68
The Secretary of Defence Robert McNamara
resigned early in ’69 and is generally held to be a scapegoat
Bob Dylan and friends toured (1975-76)
with a show titled (perhaps ironically?)
The Rolling Thunder Review
As I write the US is involved in wars in
Iraq Afghanistan Pakistan Somalia Yemen and Syria
.