For every hero on the stage

On parade or in the grave

With medals pinned and glory flags unfurled

The humble serviceman by scores

Packs the caissons, Guards the doors

Sails sea and sky across the troubled world

Comrades in arms they share the call

Who stepped across that line for all

Knowing well that fate might call their name

They crossed that sword mark in the dust

For freedoms sake and God they trust

And did it not for fortunes gold or fame

So on Remembrance Day give thanks

To veterans past and current ranks

And Praise Eternal God that they were there

Oh quiet heroes, every one

Without your hand, naught would be won

Pray our acclaim, the purest badge you wear

Linked at Rantburg (thanks!)

Posted at Gateway Pundit (thank you!!)

This Sunday, November 11th, is Veterans Day. This poem is dedicated to all those who have served in time of war, and to their families who have suffered the pain of their loss.

Two by two and four by four
The brave young men all marched to war
Some wore green and some wore blue
And each one had a job to do.
All she could do was stand and wave.
She told herself she must be brave,
That surely he’d return to her
And married they would be for sure.

Her true love brave in battle died.
With his last breath her name he cried.
Buried under foreign sand,
Never to see his native land.
She swore that with her dying breath,
If not in life, then fast in death
She would be joined forever more
To her true love who died in war.

She journey’d half a world away
To find the place her love did lay
With spirit steeled and visage grim
For that was all she’d left of him.
This thought alone consumed her mind
And yet his grave she could not find.
Until one day, so near despair
She met a man with long gray hair.
Bent and lame, a soldier old
Whose eyes still glittered, blue and bold.

“No more to weep, no more to cry
I know the place your love does lie.
I say to you by heaven above:
None fought so brave as your true love.
He was gallant, loyal, brave and true;
With his last breath he cried for you.
Just beyond that rocky hill
Lies your love buried, cold and still.”

She slowly climbed the hard terrain
Beyond which her true love was lain.
And when she finally reached the top
She felt her quickened heartbeat stop.
For there as far as she could see
Were gravestones to infinity.
All bore these words upon a plate:
“This one was sacrificed to hate.”

Past countless headstones carved the same
She ran and wept and called his name.
Long she searched, and long she tried,
Not finding him whose name she cried.
Too many deaths, too many tombs,
Too many graves that held the doomed.
The silent stones forevermore
Will keep her love who went to war.

Stephen P. Smith

Beto sends a new poem

Updated and Bumped
Momentum is building. Google hits 1,680,000 entries for the phrase “the greatest campaign finance scandal in American history.” Hillary Rodham Clinton is now at the top of the heap. Keep it going folks!
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“the+greatest+campaign+finance+scandal+in+American+history”

“the greatest campaign finance scandal in American history”

Now that this phrase has been published by a respected member of the MSM, and, as such, is now in the LexusNexis search database, it seems appropriate to associate that phrase with the person to whom it refers: Hillary Rodham Clinton.

I received a ping from FReeper “Spirit of Allegiance” this morning which pointed to an article which featured our pal, “Dougfromupland.”

The article was in the San Francisco Chronicle’s on line edition. Here is the introductory paragraph of the article about “the greatest campaign finance scandal in American history.”

In his other life, Douglas Cogan, 59, is a San Bernardino County commercial real estate broker. But for years, the conservative Republican has spent thousands of hours painstakingly researching what he calls “the greatest campaign finance scandal in American history” by a woman he calls one of the most dangerous political figures the country has ever seen - Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Since it appears that Google has enabled “google-bombing” again, I thought it might be interesting to get the phrase, “the greatest campaign finance scandal in American history,” permanently associated with Hillary Rodham Clinton. That is the purpose of this post. And, if any of you bloggers out there want to join in, just copy+paste this post at your blog, or pass it along in the comments section of your favorite blogs. The more the merrier. I’m going to track-post it to Linkfests, and post it at FR and Hannity. I’ll also activate every tag I have ever used to associate it with this post. Heh.
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Read the rest of this entry »

Comment posted by Donald Douglas
at 8/9/2007 11:31:01 AM

Thank you for the poem. I’m glad your son is doing well, and I appreciate his service.

Comment posted by no2liberals
at 8/9/2007 12:31:53 PM

I hope to see a poem about his returning home safely, a much more mature young man, and that it will be as bright and cheery, as this poem is dark and sad. Obviously a snap shot of how you were feeling at the time.

Comment posted by SwampWoman
at 8/9/2007 2:14:11 PM

I never understood why my mother worried about me in service until my kids grew up. Then I realized that even though son’s outward form may be adult with bulging biceps and tattoos, he’ll always be my baby that needs protecting and nurturing (grin). What is funny is that he now feels the same protectiveness towards his momma.

Comment posted by Beto Ochoa
at 8/9/2007 2:52:00 PM

I’m pleased to see more poetry here. Mor, a fine poem that creates an illustration in the readers mind of your reality. Some parents lack or have lost such a connection. That is one of the saddest things in humankind.

Comment posted by Beto Ochoa
at 8/9/2007 2:54:29 PM

PS
I read a great novel titled “Old Mans War” where, in the future, the old folks fight the wars and the young folks stay home to breed and build.

Comment posted by Tammi
at 8/9/2007 6:36:43 PM

Thanks for the poem. It brought tears to my eyes. I am grateful that your son served and ecstatic that he made it back safe!

Comment posted by no2liberals
at 8/9/2007 8:00:16 PM

US public sees news media as biased, inaccurate, uncaring.
Hmmm…have I been knocked over with a feather, or affirmed?