Asymmetrical Information

AMERICA WAS PROMISES Archibald MacLeish

AMERICA WAS PROMISES
Archibald MacLeish

O my America for whom?
For whom the promises? For whom the river?
“It flows west! Look at the ripple of it!”
The grass “So that it was wonderful to see
And endless without end with wind wonderful!”
The Great Lakes: landless as oceans: their beaches
Coarse sand: clean gravel: pebbles:
Their bluffs smelling of sunflowers: smelling of surf:
Of fresh water: of wild sunflowers… wilderness.
For whom the evening mountains on the sky:
The night wind from the west: the moon descending?
Tom Paine knew.
Tom Paine knew the People.
The promises were spoken to the People.
History was voyages toward the People.
Americas were landfalls of the People.
Stars and expectations were the signals of the People
Whatever was truly built the People had built it.
Whatever was taken down they had taken down.
Whatever was worn they had worn -- ax-handles: fiddle-bows:
Sills of doorways: names for children: for mountains…
The People had the promises: they’d keep them.