A New Nation

As was remembered, four score and seven years later
our nation, a new nation
was brought forward; but not by war, willed
created by the words written in that hall
the words of that Philadelphia summer
Changing our world, splintering an empire
held together by might, for a dream of freedom
All are equal, all must be free
so is our pledge, our plea
the dream of America, still unfulfilled
so many summers gone by
so far have we come
I hear freedom starting to ring
part of the dream given voice
by another pastor, forty-five years ago
may it start in our hearts today

July 4, 2008
Mayflower Compact, Declaration of Independence, Gettysburg Address,
Emancipation Proclamation, Preamble to Constitution,
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, 8/28/1963
written for July 4th celebration
Wesley United Methodist Church,
Concord, NH
In reading this, I noted that the nomination speech
of the Democratic Convention this summer
will be on the 45th anniversary of Dr. King’s speech

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 27,420+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.