Poems for a 250th birthday

The request from the organizers of the Long Branch Poetry Festival this year was to consider presenting “historical, patriotic, non-political” materials for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The assignment proved more challenging than I expected. Following are the two new poems I wrote for the Fourth of July event.

Land of hopes

 

Long Branch NJ to Long Beach CA,

What a big beautiful country this USA.

Woody Guthrie sang it many years ago, 

This land is your land this land is my land,

… this land was made for you and me.

 

On huge transporters many arrived,

To this great land with many opportunities,

A true melting pot full of hope and ambition,

And the promise of freedom for us all,

Whether tired or poor or fleeing persecution.

 

Parents wanting better for their children,

Sacrificing for them to receive the education

And the skills they need to attain success

And happiness that was proving too elusive 

In the land of their own birth and youth.

 

New Americans assimilating with the old,

While adding their own flavors and sounds 

To the mosaic of this still young land,

And continuing to expand and redefine

Just what is the culture of the USA today.

 

That’s the past and present at 250 years.

But what of the next hundred or so years

For the future generations of Americans?

Are the best of times in this land behind us,

Is now what they’ll say is the good ol’ days?

 

America can continue to build its strength,

Greeting people with dreams and ambitions 

Who value our democracy and economy 

And contribute to the hope of better days

As this wonderful land continues to evolve.

 

Copyright 2026, Charles A. Bruns

 

Stamps

 

Only one country in all of the world

Could transport information of all kinds

Through its beautiful lands north to south,

East to west and up mountains down valleys

With these colorful images as the fare of passage

Since January twentieth two thousand twenty five A.D.:

 

Crab nebula, the horse, galaxy pair, sunflowers, 

Angel’s trumpets, winter landscapes, lowriders.

Luna moth, bald eagle, SpongeBob SquarePants, schooner,

U. S. flag, baby wild animals, goodnight moon, star cluster.

 

Vibrant leaves, the Appalachian Trail, American bison, dahlias, 

1794 compass rose, spiral galaxy, Route 66, American vistas.

 

Harriet Powers, Betty White, Muhammad Ali, 

Jimmy Carter, Elie Wiesel, Phillis Wheatley,

Ben Franklin, Barbara Bush, William F. Buckley, 

Allen Toussaint, and Bruce Lee.

 

Happy birthday, holiday cheer, 250 years of delivering, 

Colorado statehood, day at the beach, freshwater fishing, 

U.S. Army 250th, U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, postcrossing.

 

Treasures of the revolutionary era, 

Battlefields of the American revolution.

Powwows, summer sunset, North American soccer,

Boston stamp show, International peace, love forever.

 

And today, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence it is,

As depicted on the very latest stamp from the US Postal Service.

 

Copyright 2026, Charles A. Bruns

 

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum

An hour’s drive from LAX Airport — depending on the notorious Los Angeles-area traffic, of course — in beautiful Simi Valley stands an interesting and nostalgic archive about the 40th president of the United States and the 1980s: the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. During a quiet weekday visit this past winter, my wife and I were very impressed with what we saw inside the building as well as outside on its grounds.

The exhibits on the life and times of Ronald Reagan are a reminder of a different time in U.S. politics, when government executives and legislators were civil and respectful to each other even when they disagreed on what was in our country’s best interests. It is also a reminder that it is possible for a person from humble origins to work hard and overcome adversity to become the leader of our country.

To baby boomers, the library and museum are a trip down memory lane to younger days, when life seemed simpler and more positive. Of course, as the exhibits illustrate, the reality is our world was as complicated and concerning in the ‘80s as it is today. Younger students of U.S. history will learn that many of the kinds of international and domestic challenges the Reagan presidency dealt with, e.g., the economy and terrorism, remain more than 35 years after he finished his second term.

Some southern Californians I met during the trip said they did not agree with Ronald Reagan’s politics, but all of them agreed his presidential library and museum are well done and worth visiting. I found it a very fitting tribute to an American I believe was the right person at the right time to lead our country and a fascinating look back at pivotal moments in U.S. and world history. And, it  stands on grounds with views of Simi Valley everyone will agree are beautiful.