Half Masts

D-Day and The Fourth
Bookends of a month
In the life of the Nation
The death of a President
Reminders each day
Against blue sky or grey
Of sacrifices, and lives lost
Defending our rights

Freedom isn’t free
The media doesn’t see
The good of the troops
In those lands of sand and
Minarets, martyrs and madmen

Freedom, food, water, hope
On the line, in the chaos,
In the storm, in the desert, in the streets

Snap in the breeze, or limp on the cord
Sentries marking the honor
To a man, I didn’t support
But honor, nonetheless
For his optimism, faith
In this place, this idea

The rightness of our dream
Lost for so long in the malaise
The hurt from Dallas to Tehran

On guard still,
Our finest in the field
Pawns or patriots, whatever your view
Remember to vote, to have a say
To remember them all
Snap to attention,
And pledge allegiance
To this nation

For it’s the best hope
As Reagan knew, and we do too
So whether half staff or whole
We remember the call, the duty
We share, to herald the hope,
The dream we hold dear
This Fourth and all year.

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 23,410+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.