Memorial Day Poems
FREEDOM:
INDEPENDENCE WASN’T FREE
IN THIS LAND OF LIBERTY.
THERE’S BEEN A HEAVY COST,
THOUSANDS OF LIVES HAVE BEEN LOST,
PROTECTING AMERICANS COURAGEOUSLY,
FOR FREEDOMS FROM SEA TO SEA.
FOR MORE THAN 200 YEARS
FREEDOM’S BEEN PURCHASED WITH TEARS.
TEARS OF PAIN, DISTRESS AND GRIEF,
TEARS OF JOY, HOPE AND RELIEF.
FREEDOM’S BEEN PURCHASED WITH BLOOD.
BLOOD OF THOSE THAT WERE LOVED.
SONS, DAUGHTERS, FATHERS,
SISTERS, BROTHERS AND EVEN MOTHERS.
FREEDOM’S BEEN PURCHASED WITH SWEAT.
SWEATING PROFUSELY WHILE ENEMIES ARE MET.
SWEAT OF THOSE ON THE FRONT LINE,
SWEAT OF THEIR FAMILY LEFT BEHIND.
BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS,
FREEDOM’S PRICE THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
FREEDOM IS NEVER FREE
IN A LAND OF LIBERTY.
AGAIN:
It happened again today.
The tragic news of another casualty.
The death of one so young and vibrant,
Giving his life valiantly.
The news is overwhelming,
It’s tearing my soul apart.
I can’t see past the pain,
Past the incision in my heart.
Whose loved one is next;
Son, daughter, husband or wife?
Who’ll give their all for me,
Who’ll sacrifice with their life?
Do I understand the reason
These lives are being lost?
Do I comprehend they desired
My freedom at any cost?
No way to say thanks,
For them sacrificing their all.
I must humbly accept it,
They saw it as “their call.”
So as my heart bleeds,
From the wound of each hero lost.
I’ll cherish the freedoms I have,
Never able to forget the costs.
Remembered as a Number?
4,000 NOW DEAD, OVER 27,000 INJURED
An event being noted as a milestone in the death toll in the war on terrorism;
Yet, these aren’t just numbers that should be recognized in and of themselves,
There is so much more to these numerals than the total of casualties.
Each has a name, a hometown, loved ones still grieving and reliving memories.
The number itself shouldn’t be given recognition or significance.
It’s the men and women represented, each worthy of that special honor of ‘war hero’.
Whether the first or the four-thousandth each one is of importance and value.
Every one gave of themselves, every one deserves the utmost honor
As a true American, a loyal, courageous patriot, not a simple number.
They fought for a purpose, the freedom our country was founded on.
Their choice to serve in a time of war was the road less traveled.
Each number reflects a life cut short, bodies and minds forever changed.
They and their families never again to live in past normalcy,
To be whole again, or for life to be restored completely.
As a soldier said “Not one is more important then another.”
And, “Whether the first or the last, they all hurt, but we have to go on.”
Those going on, still in the fight need motivation, our support and loyalty,
Assurance that if they become a casualty they’ll be remembered for who they are,
not just as the next tally.
SILENT SYMBOL
Hanging solemnly
Gazed at reverently,
A rectangular banner
A symbol of service
And a family’s sacrifice.
Trimmed in vibrant red,
A glorious white background,
A bold star in the center;
Blue as a spring sky
A reminder of hope and life, or
Gold as heaven’s streets
A memorial to service and eternity.
Red, white, blue and gold
The colors of freedom
Hanging solemnly
Gazed at reverently.
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