Some Gave All
I am a gift given from the heart of those whom cherish me most,
Demanding of those who receive me, giving to those who appreciate me.
Not upon the wings of a dove came I, and pain came to those who sought me,
The sweat, toil, and blood of others brought me forth to oppose tyranny.
I cannot be without struggle, retained without will, nor bow to evil,
But I can be lost to those whom despise me if you allow it.
I have been fought for by the brave who sacrificed all they possessed,
All valiant deeds done so that these souls might hold me tight to their brests.
Through countless decades I?ve watched as they?ve gone to the forefront of battle,
So that they, their posterity, even their neighbors, could savor my sweet gifts.
Fathers, Mothers, Brothers, Sisters, Children, mourn for those that stood for me,
A sacrifice made by many so that tyranny could not overcome me.
I?ve stood beside those great leaders who?ve carried the burden of my cause,
And have been humbled by their will, strength, and determination.
I have been always with those souls who have cherished me more then life itself,
As they courageously stood in harms way to oppose those who sought conquest.
I walked with those who stood on the fields of Bunker Hill and Trenton,
Cried when they fell upon one another at Bull Run and Shiloh.
I strode the shattered earth of Belleau Wood as they fell in countless numbers,
Standing before me they refused to yield to the foe that sought to take me.
I stood with them as they crossed the bloody river of Monte Cassino,
And warmed them as they froze in the snow covered ground of Bastogne.
I was with them as they dared the fury of the coral reefs of bloody Tarawa,
And were left to fight alone on Guadacanal and cruel Iwo Jima.
I was there as they faced the fury of the Chosin Reservoir,
Then held at Pusan, and braved the daring landing at Inchon.
I was amongst them on the hills of Khe Sahn, and in the ruins of Hue city,
And held them close as they struggled through the steaming jungle of the Ia Drang valley.
I was with them as they went into the streets of Beruit and Somalia,
As they stood amidst the ruins around them and lit the beacon of hope.
I proudly rode with them all into Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Iraq,
And remain with them to this day as they struggle to keep me alive for all.
I have always been with each one of these brave souls as they fought,
And I?ve been wracked with pain and shed countless tears for those that have fallen.
All this done so I can remain a beacon for all those that are oppressed,
For I cannot be had without sacrifice nor be taken for granted.
To those whom have not face the foe to retain my place amongst them,
Nor given of themselves to keep me alive I offer this warning.
Do not become comfortable in believing that I will always be there,
It is the purest folly to let down your guard, and your doom to do so.
For there are many among you that would steal me away from here,
Then they would hang upon your shoulders the chains of oppression.
I am not cheap, nor easy to attain, and I am even harder to keep,
But once one has felt my embrace they suffer greatly upon my absence.
So forever remember those souls that gave all they had for me,
So I could offer you what they sacrificed their lives for................Your Freedom
Moko
April 12, 2006
Got me thinking............
Jaldon
