She languished for awhile then slipped away;
Not many mourned her loss that fearsome day
For she was old and worthless, so it seemed
An inconvenient relic, many deemed.

They failed to glimpse the glory of her youth;
Professing wisdom, they demeaned her truth:
Fierce subjugation’s shackles fast enslave,
Denying liberties that God’s hand gave.

A requiem was sung by just the few
Who cherished her protections and who knew
The sacrifice of those who gave her breath
Who'd pledged their loyalty unto the death.

Revive again that spirit we have lost;
Rekindle freedom’s flame, what ‘ere the cost.


“Public virtue cannot exist in a Nation without private Virtue, and public Virtue is the only Foundation of Republics.”
(John Adams, 1775)