America the beautiful, from sea to shining sea—
I’ve seen the world and now believe we named you perfectly,
For grand Mont Blanc and lovely Lac Léman cannot compare
To rolling Appalachians and the freedom in your air.
I’d thought that you were pretty, yes, but not without your faults,
But now I find you’re worth more than the money in Swiss vaults.
I miss the land, the culture, and the place where I was born,
And never will I think of you again with any scorn.
I miss you, dear Land of the Free and Home of all the Brave,
It is your grass I yearn for now, and your sweet air I crave.
This is the one apology that I can make to you:
I’m not there now, but I’ll return, and be forever true.
Author notes
This was written while I was in France, overseas for the first time. I had never truly appreciated America, because she does not have the same old-world charm as Europe, but now I realize that she has so much more that Europe could never offer.
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