Monday, May 25, 2015

Freedom Is Not Free


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~

 
Until Next Time
So grateful for our men and women in the military.
 

5 comments:

  1. Thank you for such a lovely post. My husband is a Marine (we don't say "ex") and let me tell you, that man and his Patriotism is never unwavering. Blessings

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  2. Awesome reminder of why we are celebrating today...but it should be every day. Enjoy today, Ms. Mary.

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  3. Hello Mary! Thank you for your visit to my blog today! Nice to meet you. You shared a wonderful poem with us on this day of remembrance. I'll look forward to your next post!!

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  4. You are correct, freedom comes with a very high price.

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