Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.
(America never was America to me.)
Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed-
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.
(It never was America to me.)
O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.
(There’s never been equality for me,
Nor freedom in this “homeland of the free.”)
Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark?
And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?
I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart,
I am the Negro bearing slavery’s scars.
I am the red man driven from the land,
I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek—
And finding only the same old stupid plan
Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak.
I am the young man, full of strength and hope,
Tangled in that ancient endless chain
Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land!
Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need!
Of work the men! Of take the pay!
Of owning everything for one’s own greed!
I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil.
I am the worker sold to the machine.
I am the Negro, servant to you all.
I am the people, humble, hungry, mean-
Hungry yet today despite the dream.
Beaten yet today-O, Pioneers!
I am the man who never got ahead,
The poorest worker bartered through the years.
Yet I’m the one who dreamt our basic dream
In the Old World while still a serf of kings,
Who dreamt a dream so strong, so brave, so true,
That even yet its mighty daring sings
In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned
That’s made America the land it has become.
O, I’m the man who sailed those early seas
In search of what I meant to be my home-
For I’m the one who left dark Ireland’s shore,
And Poland’s plain, and England’s grassy lea,
And torn from Black Africa’s strand I came
To build a “homeland of the free.”
The free?
Who said the free? Not me?
Surely not me? The millions on relief today?
The millions shot down when we strike?
The millions who have nothing for our pay?
For all the dreams we’ve dreamed
And all the songs we’ve sung
And all the hopes we’ve held
And all the flags we’ve hung,
The millions who have nothing for our pay-
Except the dream that’s almost dead today.
O, let America be America again-
The land that never has been yet-
And yet must be-the land where every man is free.
The land that’s mine-the poor man’s, Indian’s, Negro’s, ME-
Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again.
Sure, call me any ugly name you choose-
The steel of freedom does not stain.
From those who live like leeches on the people’s lives,
We must take back our land again,
America!
O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath-
America will be!
Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,
The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people, must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain-
All, all the stretch of these great green states-
And make America again!
– Langston Hughes
O, let America be America again – the land that never has been yet: waving green grasses, purple-hued amber, smoked sandalwood, bay rum, clove bud, cardamom, and black pepper.
minikadomi –
This perfume is soft and sharp at the same time. It’s coffee, yes, but not a literal one and not a sweet one. The spices are there but there is also something a little bit unpleasant in the background… I think I can smell the dungeon in which this coffee was brewed as well?
hankins –
At first application this had an odd yeasty smell, but not at all unpleasant. It quickly mellowed into a warm nutmeg almond fragrance which prompted me to purchase the larger bottle. It will be a great autumn scent.
Maryam Aisyah binti Maizahar Azri –
I finally got my paws on this perfume today, and tried it out!
I definitely could smell coffee, spices, and something creamy and warm in the end.
but somehow my nose was convinced that I smelled like a spiced fruit cake.
I think it was the warm, slightly sweet but mostly spicy and creamy profile that threw me off.
The smell was spicy in the bottle and on first application, but got more creamier and sweeter as it stayed on my skin.
Longevity-wise: My good god- 9 hours!! I put it on around 6pm and now, at 3am I barely could smell it anymore.
I wouldn’t suggest this perfume if you don’t like the scent profile, and uh- something so noticeable.
I put a few drops on my pulse points and shirt, and my brother could smell me from a good distance. But I don’t think this perfume is headache-inducing (imo), it helps that the sweetness is like somewhere in the background, and not centre stage.
I’m so happy with my purchase and have the Imp vials with my order; Though, if you want another bpal similar to Kobold Barista ( an interesting, not-so-sweet perfume) I would suggest “The grave pig! ” Its a patchouli, mossy perfume with fig! I think it pulls kinda masculine-unisex on me, but the fig’s sweetness is just elegant .
Lunashayde –
This reminds me of powdered chai tea mix, that dry, warm scent. It’s just really warm and comforting, especially on cooler days. It’s not overly foodie, definitely more spices/baking aisle.
bibliomaniac –
Wooo, the coffee note is strong in this one! I don’t drink caffeinated stuff, but the frimp I got of this has a nice, roasted smell that is a lot darker and more potent than the whiffs I caught while passing through the coffee places on campus. It smells more like freshly roasted beans than a latte, if that makes sense? Though the ginger and spices keep it from being too overpowering. As someone who doesn’t drink (much) coffee, whenever exam-related extenuating circumstances required me to, I would diluted it and add in tons of cinnamon and cardamom to make it more palatable. Putting this on reminded me of those long nights of studying, but with a much more prominent coffee smell. If I knew about this scent then, I would have just put it on instead! It will definitely keep me awake.
coolfrogger728 –
I’ve been looking for a decent coffee smell for ages and I believe I’ve found it! I didn’t like it at first, but now I can’t stop smelling my wrists and that’s just with the demo bottle. It starts off very strong, but the coffee scent lingers all day for a nice, mature smell.
Tiffany Castro –
I wanted to imp this ever since BPAL released this series and was lucky enough to receive a frimp in one of my orders ❤! Thank you, BPAL. 😀
In the imp: Definitely something sweet with cinnamon & cloves
On the skin: Super realistic smell of coffee grounds, wow and yum :9! Such a warm, toasty coffee smell. ☕ After a minute or so, sweet cream is added to the coffee & I can make out the cinnamon & clove I originally sniffed in the imp. Ginger & black pepper are the notes that I think make this scent so toasty and almost smokey. I absolutely love this! This is definitely the most amazing coffee scent I’ve ever smelled. ❤ Absolutely full bottle worthy!
Mary-Pat Murphy –
Sweet, spicy, warm and comforting. It smells like a dirty chia latte that was made by someone who makes their own chai masala spice mix. Can’t get enough of it.
leeannacampbell18 –
I received this yesterday and I am totally in love with it! It smells like a magical coffee house in a bottle. The coffee and the spice of it really reminds me of a dirty chai tea latté. On my skin wet it is very strong but not too overwhelming, the cream note really shines when its wet. When its dry, it has fantastic throw on me and smells so spicy and sexy. I’d also say this scent is very gender neutral. If you want to smell like a middle earth coffee shop, this is for you!