by Timothy Birdnow

5/27/2024

Once they were lions and they roared
once they were eagles and they soared
once they were heroes and adored
now they're forgotten and are largely ignored

Our heroes of yesterday are now wasted away
no more to stand up, to go into that fray
their colors so bold now appear to us gray
and in many a field their bones now decay

they lie in the earth at Antietam, and Normandy beach
at the Somme and at Shiloah, wherever they reached
in the spring then fat men come to give a fine speech
about the soldiers departed, and to God they beseech

But after that day the ungrateful forget
how these men gave their lives, how we owe them a debt
they bought us our lives with their blood and their sweat
when their country called out they faced up to the threat

And on this sad day all the flowers in bloom
over ground that now covers our heroes cold tomb
and the fallen now huddle so as to make room
for those still alive but soon facing their doom

How dare we forget!
How dare we blow out the candle once lit?

the field of honor lies fallow these days
the monuments fallen, the engraving decays
and the nation, ungrateful, their memory betrays
But the bravery of the heroes is an eternal blaze

the lion walks so nobly and ever so brave
the eagle soars boldly like one who's been saved
the statue of the hero is dedicated and engraved
But the fate of soldier is to lie in his grave.

So never forget him, you sad wretched nation
He died so your country can find it's salvation
alone and at war he passed through the conflagration
a burnt offering, his body he gave willingly in consecration

We owe you a debt we can never repay
no words can express what we all should convey
on this day in late May we have so much to say
let us all bend our knee and bow our heads and we'll pray

Sleep well good and faithful friend! Your fidelity lasted to the very end.

Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at 12:23 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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