My friend Rev. Dr. Thomas Sabel and I have known each other since 1972. Tom served in the U.S. military, is a professor, and is a Lutheran pastor. He is also a very good poet. Dear America is a set of 22 short postcards Tom wrote to his country: part love letter, part complaint, from someone who still cares enough to say what hurts. We are publishing them in five parts, all at once, in the order Tom wrote them. — Robert K. Green, Ph.D.
Dear America,
I’ve done everything you told me to do. I voted in nearly every election. I served in your Army. I went to your schools, all like I was supposed to do.
And now?
Dear America,
You know I wanted to love you and I believed that you could love me back. What happened? You left me so alone.
Dear America,
I don’t know what you want anymore. We’re working as hard as we can and getting further behind. Except for the few. What’s wrong with the many?
Dear America,
What made us so selfish that we turned our backs on the poor? Yes, Jesus said the poor would always be with us, but that’s no excuse.
Which postcard would you send to America? Leave yours in the comments.
Read the whole series: Part 1 · Part 2 · Part 3 · Part 4 · Part 5
Poems © 2026 Thomas Sabel. Published with the author’s permission.
