For the Love of Country

For the love of country
they fought and died
for the beliefs we hold dear
the words written in ink,
carved in stone
etched in blood on battlefields
near and far
Our aspirations, our hopes
our dreams for our land
Willing to sacrifice, to struggle
to stand in the breach;
To stand for our nation,
even when we together fall short,
when our actions fall short
of our loftier ideals,
even then they stand in the field,
in harm’s way, for us.

February 19, 2008
The Exchange, NHPR, 2/18/08
Socrates Radio Café: What does Love of Country Mean?
http://www.nhpr.org/node/15188