I love the american man
in jeans and slant-heeled western boots
whose steel-grey eyes squint closed
against the brilliant sky
of
endless prairy fields
on which he
stands
alone





2

I love the american man
of military honor who
liberated half the world's nations
from tyranny
then helped them to rebuild their land
with a generosity that stands
unprecedented
through all the centuries
of human history





3

I love the american man
who originated
the authentic sound of blues and jazz
the mournful twang
of country music's steel guitar
the perfect harmonies of mountain songs
and the explosion of rock music
that swept through the world
in the first revolution based on art





4

I love the american man
who created the tallest building
the most powerful dam
the most advanced space-technology
and the global computer network
that provides all humanity
with equal knowledge
of that which is the truth
and those that are the lies





5

I love the american man
of history
who wrote a constitution
that guarantees my right to thrive in liberty
through powers which no other
man on earth
has ever written down as law
to shield his people
from their own elected government





6

I love the american man
of swapmeet talks and country bars
his hat pulled low to shade his face
showing only
a
moustache
and that forgiving, sexy smile
I've never seen
on any man in any other nation





7

I love the american man
of skinny frame and untamed hair
whose brilliant mind
invents the unknown
perceives the unseen
creates what never before existed
and
doesn't seem to care
about chasing after surplus wealth





8

I love the american man
of early film mythology
who conquered evil in those lawless towns
and Senate halls of history
who walked with quiet, solitary courage
and who inspired other men
throughout the world
to stand alone and free
like him





9

I love the american man
whose slogan is "no fear"
as he defies the laws of gravity
on bike or skateboard wheels
and won't compete
in sports of violence
still sanctioned
by archaic
worlds





10

I love the american man
who watches from a trailer park
as billions go to foreign nations
while leaders here, ignore
the very people they had sworn to serve
but he is silent
when perhaps he should not be
yet
I admire him





11

I love the american man
whose face reflects the origin of every
race and nation's safety left
yet coming here
transmuted it
to be uniquely this:
a man of brand-new thought
and
endless possibility





12

I love the american man
who carved with dynamite in Rushmore's rock
to give the world a monument
of giant, solemn heads that
manifest
in mountain secrets of the past
the men whose silent words
will speak to us
through all eternity





13

I love the american man
who stands on the catastrophic ruins caused
by fire, a flood, the massacre of 911
who with profound
heroic courage
transforms his pain into a smile
(he actually manages to smile!)
when asked to speak for newsreel cameras and only says:
"I will rebuild it better than it ever was"





14

I love the american man
who winds a rope
around his leather glove
then with that subtle nod
of momentary courage
commands the gate to open up
and so set free
the vicious bull to which
he tied himself with slow precision





15

I love the american man
who invented
mobiles
totem poles
geodesic domes
sneakers
blue jeans
Blogger
WebTV
Apple
Google
my remote control
magic markers, scotch tape, spray paint
email
xerox
the internet
freedom of speech
freedom of the press
and
the pursuit of happiness





16

I love the american man
whose graying hair defies the wind
under a black bandana
as he rides his silver-studded Harley
disguised by tough leather gear
and mean tattood eagles
to protect his image
and to hide from view
a caring heart of purest gold





17

I love the american man
whose visionary mind creates
brand-new concepts in established fields
then has the strength to fight intrusion
by those who
would subvert his vision
into the dusty path
of
mediocrity





18

I love the american man
who doesn't understand
that other men throughout the world
wish they'd been born like him
and that he's noisily accused
yet secretly envied
by those who imitate his ways
so that they too, might one day be
like an american man





19

I love the american man
who travels in an angry world
with quiet tolerance
to whom opposing views
do not divide
but serve to clarify
and so
illuminate
the strength of balanced vision





20

I love the american man
whose proud independence
has made him fight
a never-ending battle
against bigotry and hate
and whose love for justice
and the rights of all
does not permit
such evil to perpetuate





21