15. My name is Libertas

My name is Libertas
better known as Lady Liberty
little known as spoken word poet
and bossy, opinionated bronze bitch
Not that anyone asked; after all 
I am just a Statue
I am just a woman
I was built by men to be silent accessory to the crimes I witness
posed with tablet tucked under arm, feet striding forward,
torch lifted high, enlightening the world 
just, not too brightly
lest all the immigrant flies fly here
with the intention to stay
I was once emancipator, patron of once-enslaved free
and their pileus caps of liberty
an abolitionist cap Davis denied to me,
rather gave me a crown
and I thought we were celebrating the end of a monarchy?
Thought the broken chains at my feet was the awakening of democracy
but it still seems y'all are still asleep
Seems that y'all don't care that I mean to welcome 
the tired, poor, homeless masses yearning to breathe free
because I'm your convenient propaganda pin-up
my face co-opted and stamped on every call to every war for this country
​where an aristocratic wealthy spit pennies on the streets,
call it charity
call it government assistance
call it trickle-down economics
as people in Flint die from lead poisoning
I don't know what I stand for now