I love my country. 

Let me just state that now,

Proud. Loudly and clear.

My country is the melting pot.

A collage of every race, in every possible beautiful combination,

Of every size, every religious flavor, and every possible spice of life.

Yes, my country is a delicious and flavorable splendor!

Complex for the pallet. Over-riding for the senses.

 

Yet not all may enjoy this country in equal portions as I,

The blandest spice in the pot.

This grain of salt speaks of course about how this pot is overflowing,

With much too many grains of salt, all thinking they are in the knowing.

Yet what do they know of flavor? What have they survived?

Agony!? Too unimaginable to describe!?

I ask the salt, who has only ever lived like salt does,

What do you know of the cumin's life? Or that of the Black-eyed peas? 

All they know of us is how, we salt, are not too sweet,

Quite bitter, and overpowering. 

How we salt treat the other spices with such mistrust and hate.

We do not blend well in this soup! We are too bland and rich.

 

This pot could taste so wonderful, so filling and complete,

Yet we waste time making it sour, letting other salts take power.

We need a new initiative, something more intuitive. Altruistic at least.

What bitter taste we salt add to the beauty within this pot.

At such a time of terror, and fear, we sit and watch,

as the media and politics pour sour hate into this already salty boiling pot.

"When will it end!?" I've cried so often at night.

So sick of my own flavor, afraid to express myself even just a sliver,

For fear of overpowering the flavors of the other spices,

"When can we all just learn to let things simmer and enjoy life in this pot?" 

I've ask myself in desperation for the answers.

 

And then I know.

 

It is when the salt decides to let their salty love out!

Let their gift of being salt, of their uncanny ability,

When salt is used to open tastebud doors, 

Letting other spices, new flavors, linger on the tongue.

What sensation we can add to the true flavor of this melting pot!

 

So I ask my fellow salt, will you open up the tastebuds with me?

Will you help in enriching the overall flavor of this bowl?

 

Blend in so that the other spices can also be enjoyed!

It is when we salt learn to love our brothers; and love all of life's spices.

Only when the salt can learn to co-operate with the other flavors,

Living side-by-side in blissful harmony,

Can the true flavor of this melting pot be expressed.

 

I beg you! Please! My fellow grains of salt,

Can you learn to blend in better, and let your neighbors,

the pepper, the oregano, the cinnamon,

Join you at your dinner table?

I ask you, can we stop trying to over-boil this pot? 

Be more conscious? Be more aware?

Can our country learn to simmer and enjoy the blessings at our tables?

The gifts within our pot?

I am willing to be open-hearted. 

I am willing to lend a hand in this country's cooking.

But are you?