In one of my poetry courses, my professor gave us a prompt: "America, take off your..." It took me a while to figure out what word I wanted to fill the blank with. After a while, I finally came up with my word: diaper.

I wrote this poem to point out the flaws of this country, talking to it as if it were an infant. I just feel like we could do so much better. Why can't we just grow up?

America, take off your diaper.

It is time to stop whining and crying.

You are selfish and coddled.

You are all talk,

Yet you cannot even walk.

Do not blame your toys when someone gets hurt.

Do not point at your daddy when someone takes your bottle.

America, take off your diaper.

If daddy tells you to do it, you do it.

If he wants what is best for you, just listen.

Do not back talk and stomp your feet to get your way.

Tantrums will get you nowhere.

Put that pride in the potty,

Unless you want a time out.

America, take off your diaper.

Do not keep polluting yourself like this.

Stand and clean yourself up,

Or you will get diaper rash.

Now this is not so hard, is it?

Make your daddy proud,

And take off the diaper, America.