A more perfect Union.

With unity, peace, and freedom

Of kindness, collaboration, friendship

Honesty, responsibility, and respect too

A Union bound together through its imbalances

A country of people who have faced challenges

Though if not for the individual people behind this cause, 

Everyday people, some who even bear scars

For this country

Then our Union may not have turned out as great

But even now, in times of turmoil,

And war, conflict, or battle near home soil

There are still things we can do

To make sure the beauty of our unity remains true

The simple actions make all the difference

Being kind, helping others, or avoiding ignorance

Working hard, together, and without searching for boundaries

Carrying out the same wishes of our founders

To build a country of people together

Not separated by backgrounds, anger, or displeasure

Build community by doing different things

Participating in activities that you may not think of at first

Helping others when they feel their worst

Finding joy in the small things, which still bring grins

It doesn’t have to be anything too big

Neither should it be limited by anything

But to help others, be kind, and build relationships

Is the key that unlocks a world of unity, especially when done by many

And in turn,

A more perfect Union. 

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About this poem: Initially, I wrote this as a poem for a contest I was doing in school (the Hudson County Law Day Contest, 2022), and didn't think much of it other than the meaning itself. Knowing that our world today is chaotic, torn apart, and even corrupted in some cases, I wrote this for people to revisit a few basic principles on kindness and other characteristics that could positively impact the world. Humankind is far from perfect with violence, hate, and so much more, but if everyone is doing even the little things, it can make all the difference. Even though the poem was written in regards to the United States, due to the requirements of the contest, I feel the message can be applied globally wherever there is turmoil or unrest. I was pleasantly surprised when a few months later, I was told that the poem won first place in the contest, and now I want to share it with a larger community :)