NEW DEAL
When I arrived in the Woodhaven Station post office
Around noon on a Saturday
It was very crowded
Many people were waiting to complete
Their passport applications
On my right covering the top part
Of the wall was a mural by Ben Shahn
Titled "The First Amendment" (1941)
It was funded by the treasury department
As part of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal
Providing work for unemployed artists
Here was art presenting itself to a public
Many too busy to have time to visit a museum
So while waiting to complete their passport applications
Or simply there to buy stamps
They could if they so wished
Admire artwork inspired
By the great Mexican muralists
Empowering the ordinary worker
With grace and dignity
And enshrining their right
To be free
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