Open Poetry #40 |
MEMORIAL DAY |
Abe Senior Member
since 2003-05-28
Posts 694Looks like Vero Beach, FL until the end! |
MEMORIAL DAY, 2007 Another sad Memorial Day To Honor all of those lost As we tally up another year Of all, that this War has cost. Nearly thirty-five hundred Families To mourn the death of a loved one How many more must we add Before this War is finally done? Let's not forget all those wounded More than twenty-five thousand strong Though this day is for the Dead To Honor these too, can't be wrong. First observed in Eighteen sixty-eight And the “list”, continues to grow As real Peace seems so elusive Something, we'll probably never know. It's not in the Human psyche To get along, with one another It seems that all we know to do Is just one War after another. So, this day we Honor those Heroes Who marched off to War to die Sometimes for a noble cause And some, those times when some ask, “Why!” But, one thing we can always count on There's always those Heroes-to-be Who step up, Sacrifice their lives So that other people, might be Free. 5.22.2007 older ones > ONLY NUMBERS? (for Veteran's Day but works here, too) Two hundred, twenty-eight years That, we have been going to war Eleven times we said, “For freedom!” Was, what we were fighting for. We’ve spent two, point, six trillion plus But that was just a petty cost Compared to all of the spent lives Of those loved ones, who were lost. Thirty-two hundred plus, a month For more than thirty-six years The total time fighting our enemies And more time, shedding our tears. One and one quarter million dead That’s more than fifteen every day Since we went to war, “For freedom!” In our Revolutionary way. One and one half million wounded For this Country of the Free Although some of these losses Were the Union’s and Confederacy. But, all of them are Veterans Who fought for what they believed In their own way, doing battle For those Freedoms, they perceived. As of late, a Veteran’s definition Has come from a different kind of War For which we all, are conscripted To help guard, our Freedom’s door. Let’s Honor, each and every one And though we may not know each name They were so much more than numbers In every Wartime’s deadly “game”. And, each November eleventh In the years, that come to be Let’s hope someday, all People Live in a land, where they are Free. Let’s make Veteran’s Day a memory And a part of days gone past Learn to live with our Fellowman In a Free World at Peace, at last. 10-24-2003 HEROES, EVERY ONE! Memorial Day, 2006 More than we should care to count With more added every day The death toll from this hapless War Is far too high, a price to pay. We were convinced by false words From those in whom we put our trust Were told for the safety of our Country That invading Iraq was a must. But our Nation seems no safer And many feel that things are worse As we lose more friends around the World And become a Land to hate and curse. Our Troops are the bright shining light Who will go there and risk their all Each of them, a true life Hero Men and Women, standing proud and tall. Most all of them are only kids The way Wars always seem to be The young are sent to fight and die For the sake of Democracy. But, as the body count keeps growing And the real truth becomes more clear People and Troops are finally asking “What are we really doing here?” The Taliban are coming back And Osama still has his plan We should have finished what we started When we went to Afghanistan. But we diverted our attention And caused another breeding place For all kinds of terrorists and nuts The scourges of the Human Race. Maybe sanity will soon prevail And let us hope it’s not too late To end this and bring Troops Home Before they know that deadly fate. For, no matter how each of us feel About the politics of this War We’ve sacrificed enough Americans For the answer to, “What for?” Let’s bring them back and Honor them And not forget when War is done Treat all our Veterans as we should As our Heroes, each and every one. And there’s not enough praise To give all those who gave their life And all those wounded and maimed Left with the pain of Wartime’s strife. A National Moment of Remembrance On Memorial Day That poem about where “poppies blow” And, “the crosses, row on row” Still rings true, these ninety years After written, still brings tears. We still have Dead, “amid the guns” And lose our young and our loved ones Those who lived, “short days ago” Who, “felt dawn, saw sunset glow”. In Flanders Fields, “the poppy red” Still grow near where the blood was bled They, “Take up our quarrel with the foe” And still die for Freedoms that we know. They pass, “The torch” to, “hold it high” And not, “break the faith with us who die” For they, “shall not sleep, though poppies grow” Beneath all those, “crosses, row on row” In Flanders Fields. 4-25-2005 Many places and people lay claim to being first to celebrate our Memorial Day but it is a time for all Americans to come together to Honor our War Heroes from all Wars.A three day weekend when we should all pause a momentand remember them as decreed by President Clinton in the year 2000.http://www.usmemorialday.org/speeches/president/may0200.txt I have “stolen” some partial lines from the famous poem “In Flanders Fields” written by Canadian John McCrae in 1915. Info about McCrae and poem at http://www.english.emory.edu/LostPoets/McCrae.html and/or http://www.edu.pe.ca/vrcs/remembrance2000/flanders.html Visit http://www.inflandersfields.be/default2.htm for Flanders Fields Museum MEMORIAL DAY A time for picnics, time off work ‑ Vacations and the "Indy" ‑ A holiday, too often times We forget what, it should be. A time to pay respect to those Who rallied to the battle cry ‑ Who gave their lives for liberty ‑ Those freedoms for you and I. Such a waste of brave young souls ‑ Some still struggling through their youth Who faced and fell willingly Before wartimes' awful truth. So as we share this holiday With our friends or family ‑ Take a moment to give thanks to Those who died so we'd stay free. Let us strive for world peace ‑ For the end of greed and hate ‑ For next time, after "the war" It surely, just could be too late. FREEDOMS' MEMORIAL This day is set aside to honor those who took the chance to die. But they have died in vain if we ever forget the reason why. Freedom can be like time slipping away before we even know. But we all have the choice more, a duty to battle freedoms' foe. Let us give thanks this day to all those brave who paid the highest cost. Not take it for granted and realize it easily could be lost. Memorial Day We've Troops around the World Who put, their Life on the line And sometimes give their All For, Freedoms of yours and mine. But now, it seems much different We ask them, in another’s name To Protect their Freedoms, too And Sacrifice, like it’s the same. But, you can’t give Freedom away It’s something, you must embrace And it may not always work In, each and every time and place. We can’t change centuries of life And ask our Troops to lead the way To place their lives in jeopardy Just because, the Politicians say. But now, that we are in this mess It must be seen through to the end And a Prayer said, for those who die Amongst those brave souls, we send. It’s so sad at this year’s Tribute We must add, all those Names we do With the hope, that someday All these Wars will be through. A DIFFERENT CALLING This year the "Memorial" has changed It's different than those past A different kind of war From a different, "stone cast". The battle is at Freedom's doorstep With heroes of a different kind Now, all of us are "Soldiers" Against, the terrorists "sick" mind. Civilians have always been A part of every war But, in this day and age We must do, so much more. If we expect to win this Battle We must all join hands In a strong, determined circle With, Freedom lovers from all lands. This world has changed forever "The American Way" There's so much more at stake Than, the way we live and play. Since 9-11 we're learning The horrors of this world Can even come to where Freedoms Flag is, unfurled. This day was meant to Honor All, Military Heroes have endured Now, we all could join their Ranks If our resolve, is not assured. So, let us all take a moment To respect all those, "Fallen" And vow, we're all up to the task Of this, different "Calling". Del "Abe" Jones Mankind's greatest accomplishment is not the revolution of technology, it is the evolution of creativity. |
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© Copyright 2007 Del - All Rights Reserved | |||
Drauntz Member Elite
since 2007-03-16
Posts 2905Los Angeles California |
Yes, a very good group of poems for the solders , for all dead and wounded who fought for lives and for all who lost loved ones in war, For all who has a human heart of humanity. we shall keep the world alert all the time. |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
quote: Abe, I just read the original poem as I have read the ones following in the last few years that you have posted them. Thank you. As to the above quote, however, I have, and continue to believe that overall, most humans would like to co-exist, as long as our privileges, freedoms, and rights remain intact. It is, indeed, those very things that I would most certainly fight for. It is sad, however, that as taxpayers, we must and have to fight congress in order to keep such things as a privilege. |
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JL Member Ascendant
since 2004-04-01
Posts 6128Texas, USA |
An excellent tribute to real heroes of freedom, liberty, and a life we have come accustomed to; may they forgive us for not holding them and their families in higher esteem. Truly America’s best should be remembered every single day for the jobs they are asked to do, and the jobs they do to server the many. Great write Abe. JL Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: |
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JamesMichael Member Empyrean
since 1999-11-16
Posts 33336Kapolei, Hawaii, USA |
Fine writing...James |
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Huan Yi Member Ascendant
since 2004-10-12
Posts 6688Waukegan |
. http://www.nationalalliance.org/alliance_files/honors.htm . |
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