My Vanilla Life Poem by Charles Hancock

Working on the fine art of aging
Soon to be at the half-century mark
Concluding that my vanilla life is still engaging
Ordinary-yes, yet compared to others, quite stark

I came to be when JFK was speaking of 'Ask not...'
New hopes, broadened horizons, and higher learning
Skip ahead to a time when those ideas are passe' and forgot
Food stamps, free phones, and US embassies are burning

In my youth and innocence, I traveled to the Republic of Korea
Also, Alaska, Haiti, Dominican Republic, and Japan
They warn you to be careful what you eat or you'll get diarrhea
Not a bad biography for this former enlisted man

Every young American should visit a third-world nation
Thankful for what you have and amazed at what you see
Hunger, disease, poverty, corruption, and overpopulation
No hope for the poor nor freedoms for the political detainee

Still I believe God blest this nation and our great land
We have electricity, heat, clean water, and plenty to eat
Why is America so great and other domains seem dammed?
Our faith, freedoms, and unalienable rights can't be beat

Deny God at your rallies and protest the Tablets at school
You have that right but I know what was written in stone
Want something for nothing, you're such a tool
When David faced Goliath, he stood there alone

I pray when my grandson gets up there in years
He'll tell his grandson of how our nation stumbled and nearly fell
So when he hears talk of America, he stands and cheers
Proud of Lady Liberty, Uncle Sam, and the Liberty Bell