Good night US

In this piece, I follow the structure of Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight Moon children’s book to explore elements of change in the US at this current time. The simplicity of a child's story frames the loss of values and structures many of us assumed were immutable. This version is an update of my original post in March 2025 with a light rhyming structure added.

In the blue, red, and white…

There was a country

With free speech- a protected right

And streets donned with flagpoles…

Old Glory waving bright

There was an assumption

that governments function

with productive discourse,

Life and liberty to endorse

And a military…

Descendant

As honorably independent

And Citizens’ rights

to protect

by Justices who won’t genuflect

And Liberty’s masses receiving respect

Goodnight

Blue

Red and white

Goodnight FREE speech as a right

Goodnight Old Glory waving bright

Goodnight democratic guiding light

Goodnight assumptions

Of governmental function

Goodnight to...

Productive discourse

And goodnight to the liberty we endorse

Goodnight legal immigration

Without gratuitous deportation

Goodnight military designed to protect

Honorably independent; operating with respect

Goodnight pursuit of happiness

And we-the-people

Engaged in education

Goodnight fair distribution of allocations

Goodnight science and innovation

Goodnight hard truths

Goodnight trust

Goodnight fading…

embers of US