Thursday, July 3, 2008

Fabric of a Nation


Images ingrained upon ‘old glory’
where pints of blood paint her bars
deep within the soldiers’ story
lies mettle to fashion silver stars

Found in tank brigades and mortar rounds
are heartbreak and widowed wives
while battle scenes and grotesque sounds
barely scratch our armored lives

Independence that shapes a nation
whereby fallen heroes pay the rent
from broken souls bleed liberation
and the freedom to dissent

What’s the cost to shed one tear
or stand respectfully before a stone
no earthly fate commands such fear
as the prospect of not returning home

Gaping wounds only time can suture
leaving conflicts’ reminiscent sting
today we salute soldiers past and future
in a land where freedom rings

3 comments:

Jo Janoski said...

What a powerful poem! It makes me proud to be an American...

Dan said...

Thanks Jo...hope you have an explosive 4th (in a good fireworks kind of way)! Bring us back some fantastic photos.

paisley said...

how dramatic.. this should be seen by way more people than are going to see it here... this is an immensely important well written piece.. submit it somewhere... it is wonderful....