I watched the flag pass by one day.
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Marine saluted it,
and then he stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform
so young, so tall, so proud.
He'd stand out in any crowd.
I thought how many men like him
had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?
How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.
I heard the sound of TAPS one night,
when everything was still.
I listened to the bugler play
and felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
that TAPS had meant "Amen,"
when a flag had draped a coffin
of a brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children,
of the mothers and the wives,
of fathers, sons and husbands
with interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
at the bottom of the sea
of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free.
~ Kelly Strong
We celebrated at home today with a little impromptu picnic and time spent together. It was a quiet, thoughtful today as the girls caught up on their naps, Frank did some yardwork, and I worked on the laundry from our Oregon trip last week. I said a silent prayer of gratitude for my family near and far. I love them all so very much and pray for their good health, safety and happiness always.
2 comments:
Thank you so much for posting the poem on Memorial Day. You know I read alot of blogs and yours was the only one that even acknowledged the holiday. It means alot to me the wife of an active duty soldier soon to deploy. God Bless you and your family.
Molly
yes, so many thoughts going up and out for all of those you gave the ultimate sacrifice and those still fighting in honor of our safety. especially remembering our dear sweet friend who we lost ~ cptn jeremey fresques.
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