I wish to thank all of those Veterans in service around the world a Happy Veteran's Day.
Stay safe, I am honored by your service, and wish to express my appreciation.
I know your job is exhausting, dirty, lonely, dangerous, self-sacrificial, and often thankless.
I wrote this poem to commemorate our freeing of Iraq, but I think it also expresses my appreciation of the continued service of US Veterans around the world, no matter where you are stationed, in which branch your serve, or in what theatre you might currently be operating.
Godspeed and I'll be praying for you my friends.
And for those who are serving alongside US troops as our allies, I wish to express my appreciation for your service alongside our American troops. Thank you and God bless you as well.
Jack.
CRADLE OF CONSECRATION
In memoria of our citizen soldiers and their liberation of Iraq, 2003
“Vehimur in altum”
When Men in loyal service bound
Die to ends far greater than themselves
A sort of Resurrection rises with their
Silent Ghosts to speak of Ancient Memory,
And when far better to the ear
This Honor married to the Just
Is crowned with Noble Good Intent
Then Memory has rediscovered kin
With Providence on Earth.
For many times have men taken sword
To cut apart and wound the truth
And many times the gilded spear
Has pierced through rib to injure hearts,
Rarer though, the noble soldier, to defense
Has stood transfixed upon the sands
To raise up mercied innocence
Where before but gore has washed the hands.
The Captains of a Newer World
With fresher banners in the wind
Have led a truer army forth
With force of arms all borne by men,
For citizens across the seas
From town and village, cities tall
Heard duty in these dire events
To acquit themselves not one but all.
So boy to man and man to wise
So lass to woman soon became
What their nation spoke of uppermost
A Legion of the True and Brave.
Let cynics boast and ill-declare
That death was never conquered there
That evidence has fled the field
Because small men in memories short do live
And life is slight that counts all lost,
Such men would never pay such cost.
A Larger Guard does post the Gates
When Victory and Justice meld
Eternal Ghosts do watch the ways
When nobility gives glory to the day,
A Memory from more Ancient Times
May resurrect some future night
When darkness clouds the summer sun
And knights from old must rise to fight.
A desert is a hot deathbed
A hard and desperate place to rest
But then again they never sleep
Who rise from death well o’er again
For Truth and Justice peace to keep.
Our Memories may wax and wane
Or sleep in graves, or fade in mind
But noble are our soldiers made
And so shall never fade from mine.
No comments:
Post a Comment