Anna Lewis

My Country

I. ‘Tis of Thee

sweet land of

high-yield hawk,

of white dove,

out of stock,

of red south,

of blue north,

of loud mouth

wet with Fourth

of July’s

bitter tea,

brewed by

detained liberty—

II. Of Thee I

livestream free,

from ocean

to prairie,

data-woven

web on wind

that blows what’s

far off in.

Worldwide gusts

howl close by,

cloud computing

lullabies

for us to sing.

III. Land Where My

father died,

old-world seed

sown stateside,

first burial deed

in our line

to bind us—

graveyard vine—

assign us

new-world heirs,

bona fide,

of fresh shares

in pilgrims’ pride.

IV. From Every

mountainside,

where scanned

and digitized

deer and

antelope

play, let one

ray of hope—

heartspun,

rare asset,

yet real—spring

eternal; let

freedom ring.

Anna Lewis is the author of poetry collection Memory's Abacus (Wiseblood Books, 2024). A first-generation American born and raised in New Jersey, she now lives in Durham, NC and works as a Financial Advisor.