A Fourth Under Fire - Poem by Raymond A. Foss

We celebrate once again
the bravery of those certain men
who saw what they had to do
and though they were times
to try men’s souls
they hung the lantern
and answered the call
to defend the freedom they sought
and put pen to a new hope, a creed
to live in justice and trust
and fight for it we must

A land worthy of song
for banners and truths we hold dear
even when we become flawed or amiss
when we over extend and export
and fight for the wrong in court

A people, a thought,
a prayer in the maddening crowd
to save more than we harm
to live by our joint sacred text
to fight for the rights of all
open our heart to the down and the out
and give our neighbor his space
not force it in his face
and live simpler than some
so we can say in the end
that we honored our dream
and cared for the last and the least
to see ourselves in them
and treated them just
so those storied men of old
wouldn’t regret being so bold
as to put pen to page
creating a new land and place
where we could be as one
and live out our days
humbly and in peace

June 23, 2006 18:45