United States of Shame

United States of Shame
You fucked your fame
Don't expect
Much respect
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Finland Beat the USA

What a great day
Finland beat the USA

P.O.E.M. (15 July 1975)

P.O.E.M. (Passing on Eloquent Memories)

Dedicated to Buck, Gerry, Rob and Julie

My year was rich - it's almost done -

not always easy, not always fun.

But something I'll never forget,

it meant a lot to me, you bet!

It was nice with you to stay

in this land of U.S.A.

Now my hour is almost past,

the last three minutes will, too, go fast.

Nebraska is like no other place,

but see where all I put my face:

When I toured towards the western shore,

I saw South Dakota and Mount Rushmore.

Yellowstone in Big Wyoming

was surely worth seeing.

Montana's Glacier Park was neat,

elevation ten thousand feet.

In Canada I was also,

from there I came to Idaho.

Washington had quite a fair,

I had a lovely time up there.

On the way to the East, oh boy,

I went through Iowa and Illinois.

I saw Indiana also,

yes, and some Ohio.

In Pennsylvania I had been before,

but this time I saw much more.

In New Jersey I spent some nights,

from there I went to see huge heights

in New York City, of course,

where you could even see a horse.

Niagara Falls I saw by night,

that was quite a special sight.

I didn't miss Michigan

on the way back to Nebraskaland.

Nebraska has been my home a year,

but to even more states I went from here.

Colorado Rocky Mountain High

is where my Thanksgiving went by.

Our trip down south was very fine

- first we crossed the Kansas state line.

In Oklahoma at Christmas Night

we slept in the camper all right.

In Texas we had a ball,

"Come on down, y'all!"

We went down to Galveston

and swam in the Gulf with Loishkan.

Back north we took another way,

and came to Louisiana on New Year's Day.

Then we went to Arkansas,

and what a great forest we saw!

From there we came to Missouri,

where I took a picture of Julie.

Praise the Lord, I was on my way

to the South-West at the end of May.

And now I have a riddle:

Two white stripes and dots in the middle;

what is in my sight?

- New Mexico seen by night.

But in Arizona I saw lots:

desert, cactuses and mountain tops.

It's a beautiful state is my opinion,

let alone the Grand Canyon.

At the Canyon I thought in my heart,

"Oh, Lord, my God, how great Thou art."

California was terrific.

I even surfed on the Pacific.

I knew my Lord was leading me

wherever I was to be.

In San Francisco the streets went up and down,

there I had supper in Chinatown.

Through Nevada I went by night,

but saw some of it in morning light.

I went to Utah, and WOW -

I've been to 26 states by now!

I'm glad I came to U.S.A.

But soon I have to go away.

I'm not the same as when I came;

I learned at lot as it was my aim.

I'll think of you when I'm far away.

Now thank you for every single day

that I spent with you and you with me!

And God willing, some day again we'll see.

July 15, 1975

Love, Matti

My First Poem Ever (27 Sep 1974)

I came from Finland one lovely day

To spend a year in U.S.A.

And here I stand in front of you

Supposed to say a rhyme or two

My country is a lovely one

Where even at midnight we can see the sun

Thousands of lakes with pretty strand

Are one of the beauties of my native land

Nebraska out in the West

Will be my home till summer next

But that's not all - I saw much more

When I toured towards the western shore

The words you use are hard to say

But I will learn at least by May

It is so neat to be down here

I get a lot within one year