Hang Up Your White Hat, Partner  
                                                                         11/18/24 

America was a hero when I was a kid,
	Fresh out the gates of the second world war,
		Envy of all other nations,
	In our strength and creativity,
		We built this modern country,
			Reveling in freedom,
Confident of the future.

We were the good guys, leaders of the free world,
	Defenders of liberty, and truth, and democracy,
And our streets were lined with gold,
	And our doors were open to all.
I took great pride in it, this majestic land.
	Throughout my life,
		Even with our troubles, our warring points of view,
			Even when I knew we didn’t get it right,
I thought democracy would hold,
	That our common goals would move us forward,
		Like the promise of a moon shot in a decade,
	A thousand points of light,
Like the great society it took generations
                 of Americans to build.

No, there's no shining city of the top of the hill, not anymore,
	No beacon of light,
You can put your white hats away, pardners,
		Won’t be wearin' em,
			We’re riding with Black Bart now, 
		We’re switching teams.
	We’re on the dark side.
If there’s a glow at the top of the hill
	It’s a bonfire.
America burning its once-proud past,
	And all that’s left
Is smoke, ash.

Torii Burning, Monoprint, (c) Merren Garland