It’s the Soldier
A protest raged on a courthouse lawn,
Round a makeshift stage they charged on,
Fifteen hundred or more they say,
Had come to burn a Flag that day.
A boy held up the folded Flag,
Cursed it, and called it a dirty rag.
An OLD MAN pushed through the angry crowd,
With a rusty shotgun shouldered proud.
His uniform jacket was old and tight,
He had polished each button, shiny and bright.
He crossed that stage with a soldier’s grace,
Until he and the boy stood face to face.
“FREEDOM OF SPEECH”, the OLD MAN said,
“Is worth dying for, good men are dead,
So you can stand on this courthouse lawn,
And talk us down from dusk to dawn,
But before any Flag gets burned today,
This OLD MAN IS GOING TO HAVE HIS SAY!!
My father died on a foreign shore,
In a war they said would end all war.
But Tommy and I wasn’t even full grown,
Before we fought in a war of our own.
And Tommy died on Iwo Jima’s beach,
In the shadow of a hill he couldn’t quite reach
Where five good men raised this Flag so high,
That the WHOLE WORLD COULD SEE IT FLY.
I got this bum leg that I still drag,
Fighting for this same old Flag.
Now there’s but one shot in this old gun,
So now it’s time to decide which one,
Which one of you will follow our lead,
To stand and die for what you believe?
For as sure as there is a rising sun,
You’ll burn before this Flag burns, son.
Now this riot never came to pass.
The crowd got quiet and that can of gas,
Got set aside as they walked away
To talk about what they had heard this day.
And the boy who had called it a “dirty rag”,
Handed the OLD SOLDIER the folded Flag.
So the battle of the Flag this day was won
By a tired OLD SOLDIER with a rusty gun,
Who for one last time, had to show to some,
THIS FLAG MAY FADE, YET THESE COLORS DON’T RUN
By: Charles M. Province
Recommend0 recommendationsPublished in Senior Chatters
We must keep the flag flying high so that future generations will not forget the sacrifices made by soldiers to give them the rights they enjoy today. Lest we forget!
Absolutely forever…i could go on about this subject, but i wont. keep our flag flying, thats not a lot to ask…is it?. Thanks for passing by again. 🙂
I agree, soldiers have made ultimate sacrifices. But maybe, just maybe, our country should fight as hard for peace as they fight in wars! Just a thought!
Good thought jay. If the war mongers would only give peace a chance!. I believe the P.C brigade have a lot to anwere for as well…in my mind they must take some of the blame with their sable rattling and marches…if only they would do something constructive for once…maybe then peace will be achieved. I think i will get a lot of flack for saying that…oh well, that wont be anything new!!!.. Thank you for commenting..you are becoming quite a regular! :).
good poem shads liked that one 🙂
Thanks pol :). Aways good to see you on my blog. :). x
A lovely post shadow,Jay i sooo agree with u
Thank you moggy :). I wont comment on your last sentance!! Have told jay what i think!. Good to see you.