Laura Gail Sweeney Poet Free verse

Notes About The Poem

This free-verse poem and song advocate for universal access to healthcare and free education, emphasizing the importance of eliminating student debt to promote equality and opportunity. Students in the USA deserve debt cancellation.

Laura Gail's Dreams

Americans are counting bills at a kitchen table,
Letters stacked like bricks too tall.
Signed their names to study,
Said, "We can do it!"
Now they call and call and call.

He circles due dates
When he should be chasing stars,
Whole life on layaway,
Trapped inside the student debt crisis.

Young mothers dream,
Tear the chains from learning,
Breaking the locks on every door.
Teen boys dream.
Every kid can walk in
Schools and classes,
Never poor,
From the hollers to the high-rise,
They're shouting out,
"Let these people learn!"

Free their minds.
Fill their plates.
Heal their bodies.
Even Laura Gail Sweeney dreams.
She sees a town where the schooldoors open,
Like sunrise on every block.
Grandma in a free health clinic,
Calmly joking,
Not scared of that waiting room debt.

Cafes serving fresh greens
On every corner stand.
Mamas rest their aching feet,
Trusting a gentle 
Backpacker's dream,
Tearing the chains from learning,
Breaking the locks on every door.

United States citizens also dream
That every kid can walk in
Free classes with books,
Never poor,
From the border towns to the big blue seas!
We're all whispering,
"Healthcare is a basic need."
Free our minds!
Fill our plates!
Heal people's babies!

Americans do dream:
Picture it!
Picture it!
Nobody priced out of hope!
Imagine it!
Manifest it!
Debts erased like chalk on stone!
Dream it!
Just do it!
Doctors saying, "We've got your back."
Heal it!
See it!
Teachers saying, "Come through the doors."
Learning forevermore. 

We all dream.
Writing poetry and love songs.
Every verse says, "You belong."
Laura Gail Sweeney dreams
Every classroom's shining,
Every heartbeat's growing strong.
From the dirt roads
To the city streets,
She's singing.

We finally believe in
Freeing minds,
Filling plates,
Healing bodies.
Real American dreams!
Free minds.
Full plates.
Healed bodies. 
The populace dreams! Oh!

Laura's been dreaming since Kennedy
In 1963,
And now she'll turn 63.
Remove the chains
From indentured US citizens.
Let them live free!

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