Poetry About Patriotisim A Patriotic Poem To Show Support for Soldiers, Sailors & Troops Thank You For Our Freedom
I stretched and yawned as I awoke
Switched on the morning news,
I wanted to catch the weather report
While I waited for my coffee to brew.
But it wasn't a ridge of high pressure
Or a storm that was coming our way,
Which caught my attention this morning
Causing me to shake my head in dismay.
"Dear God, What is wrong with you people?" I asked,
The image that now filled my screen
Of an angry mob of protesters
With a reporter live at the scene.
Shouting and hollering and waiving their signs
One hundred or more aggravated faces
Picketing up and down the street
Of one of our local military bases.
My moment of anger quickly gave way
To something that felt much more like shame,
I was filled with the need to apologize
To the men and women who were being defamed.
I wished that it were possible to send a letter of thanks
To each and every single one of them
Who had made the choice, either present or past
Both my country and my freedom to defend.
Now being a writer with a poet's heart
Who understands liberty's true worth
I sat down at the table with coffee in hand
And proceeded to write down this verse;
I was born an all American girl,
I am a United States Navy wife,
The daughter of a United States Marine
I've been a proud American all of my life.
Taught by my father's example
The meaning of sacrifice, honor, and truth,
Respect for my elders and for Old Glory,
Comes from deep down inside of my roots.
I thank God every night before I sleep,
That I was not born in some foreign land
Where I'd be the chattel of somebody else
Yes, I know just how lucky I am.
To live in the world's greatest country
The land of the brave and the free.
I am protected by a Bill of Rights,
I have the freedom to do as I please.
I can freely pursue my own happiness,
I can chase any one of my dreams
While millions of others live without hope
Never knowing what freedom means.
This brings me back to those people,
Who this morning were on my TV.
Carrying signs and screaming hateful words
At those responsible for keeping them free.
Perhaps I just don't understand,
Or maybe my viewpoint is skewed
Aren't we living in the same country?
Aren't they Americans too?
It's guaranteed by the First Amendment
To protest they have every right,
So you may say that I am biased, or even naïve
In my failure to comprehend this particular fight,
Or when I simply cannot find a single reason why
Their dreadful signs and ugly words
Should appear at the funeral of a fallen hero
Who has sacrificed his life as he served.
We live in a nation which affords many freedoms,
Not one of which came without cost
The truth is that nothing of value has ever been gained,
Without something more precious being lost.
We don't have to agree about politics,
Or embrace the ideology of war
Yet, can't we agree that American soldiers and sailors
Are entitled to receive something more
Than humiliation and degradation,
The total disdain and blatant disrespect,
Of the jeers and the sneers and outpouring of rage
From those people they have sworn to protect?
Shouldn't we honor our soldiers and sailors,
For choosing duty over fortune or fame?
They spend months and years away from family and home
While they put their lives on the line every day,
To defend and support the Constitution,
To ensure the rights of people like me and like you,
Fighting enemies both foreign and domestic
They are the brave and the few...
Let us also remember their families
Those parents, children, husbands and wives
The unsung and often forgotten heroes
In those soldier's and sailor's lives.
On tarmac and pier they shed their tears
Never quite sure what their future will hold,
Returning home to do their part
To keep the home fires from growing cold.
Speaking from experience, when I say it's not easy
To go on living your life every day,
Waiting and worrying and making the best of it
Still you do it for them anyway,
Because somewhere out there, the one that you love
Has more than enough on their mind
You only want them to focus on coming home safe,
Not worry about what they've left behind.
From our very beginning they've been there
These brave men and women and their families,
Standing up for our county, our freedom, our rights
Sometimes dying for what they believe.
You may find me biased, you may call me naïve
You can say that I don't understand
But I truly believe that those signs should express
Both the appreciation and gratitude of every American.
So to all those men and women both present and past,
Who have chosen my country and freedom to defend,
And to their families and loved ones, I mean what I say,
Thank – You, God Bless and Keep You,
Amen!
© 2011 Kristen Burns-Darling