In Old Mexico

A vision of Manifest Destiny

Grows full to its measure of gravity

To set a new nation ablaze down

In old Mexico.

 

And all of the bluster and fluster and flame

Erupts in a cluster of claim/counterclaim

To rattle the sabers of battle

In old Mexico.

 

Vast fever and fervor, in all of its glory,

Lays claim the expanse of immense territory

And nobody wants to let go down

In old Mexico.

 

Heroes are born and armies demise

With cannons erupting without compromise

And no one is safe from undoing

In old Mexico.

 

But old Santa Ana is no match for Scott.

He has no defense from this bold juggernaut,

So, compromise finally prevails down

In old Mexico.

 

And when, in the end, the victory won,

Manifest Destiny simply rolls on,

But nothing is ever the same down

In old Mexico.

 

You Say You Want a Revolution

“When in the course of human events.”

Thus tolls the bell of fervent appeal,

This declaration,

This new beginning,

This fledgling flight from the eagle’s nest.

 

“We hold these truths to be self-evident.”

That these rights be not taken by trial or ordeal.

That liberty’s grasp is secure and unending

And freedom endures when held to the test.

 

And if there be violence,

            Let there be violence.

We shall not wither though cannons may reel.

For independence is ours for the winning

And we will not settle for second-best.

 

For they shall not govern without our consent,

Or throttle our fervor or stifle our zeal

Lest we send them whirling, reeling and spinning

With our vigilant vigor that never will rest.

 

No patience for despots or tyrants or kings

When Liberty, sweet Liberty, opens her wings.

 

Sentinels

We are the sentinels,

Make no mistake.

We carry the future in our hands.

We must hold the line for

The next generation until

They can step up to take a stand.

 

Our fathers before us

And theirs before them

Were the guardians of their time.

They set the example,

Offered their blood to

Establish the proud paradigm.

 

As long as the essence

Of freedom remains

In the glint of the patriot’s eye,

The sentinels stand

Over Liberty’s land

Holding her banner high.

 

Enduring Peace

“What might it take to achieve and preserve the enduring peace that the world deserves?”

“It would take much more patience than we ever have known. We would need to grow wiser than we have grown.”

 

“Why must the world be forever at odds? Are our differences such that we cannot agree?”

 

“Our differences never should keep us apart. After all, we are all part of one family.”

 

“Are we then doomed to be ever embroiled in the conflict of nations, bent to destroy?”

 

“The nation of man knows no boundaries or borders, which all of God’s creatures are meant to enjoy.”

 

“So, I must ask again. Please, tell me, my friend. Will the struggles of war ever cease?”

 

“When the greed of mankind can leave loathing behind, we may then find enduring peace.”

 

A Constant Vigil

The watchman stands punctilious guard

As his charges rest in sweet repose.

He speaks no word, makes not a sound

To stir the hush as darkness grows.

 

His mission clear: to still all fear to

Grant them winsome peaceful sleep.

His warry eyes rest on the prize,

Relentless, as he tends his keep.

 

Woe to those who dare to breach

The borders he is sworn to tend.

No interlopers penetrate

Where he has chosen to defend.

 

And so must we all watchful be

With steadfast caution, circumspect

Of demons lurking in the dark,

Our one and only task: protect.

 

Prudence brings its own reward

Rejoicing with exuberance, for

Caution begets peace of mind

To those who practice vigilance.

 

Virtues

What virtues do you most admire?

So many to espouse.

We’ll make a list if you insist

So we might freely browse.

They say patience is a virtue, but then

So’s tenacity, and

Understanding rates quite high

Along with purity.

Ethics makes the list with

Incorruptibility, and

Worth is so important to

Preserve our dignity.

Honor is the cornerstone

Of deemed propriety,

But honesty is vital to

Secure integrity.

Innocence is virtue blessed

By chaste morality, while

Goodness shadows worthiness,

The grounds of decency.

 

But there is one that stands alone

In virtues, great and small.

Kindness… simple kindness is

The greatest virtue of them all.

 

Homeland

This is my home, my native land,

The country of my birth.

What better place to live and grow,

To lift my inner worth?

 

Even though I oft make light

Or speak of her in mirth,

No better place can I speculate

Exists on Mother Earth.

 

Some people like to travel

Hither, yonder, near and far.

They never seem quite satisfied

Just being where they are.

 

Exactly what they’re seeking

Is impossible to know.

But I’ve got all I need right here.

I have no need to go.

 

And when, at last, it’s over and

My final race is run,

Embrace my ashes over Her

And let us breathe as one.

 

Loyal to the Last

He couldn’t tell you why

He volunteered, only to say

It was something that he felt he had to do,

To help… to serve.

There were other options that

He might have chosen. Better pay,

Better hours, not as taxing on

His body or his nerves.

 

He didn’t mean to make his mother

Cry so many tears,

But she couldn’t hide the pride

She felt inside her breaking heart.

He only meant to honor her and

All that she had taught

Of integrity and loyalty and

All that they impart.

 

He knows that any moment can bring

Turmoil to his life

Where endangerment can threaten hard and fast.

But he will never waiver

In the face of enmity.

He vows to stay forever faithful…

And loyal to the last.

 

The Pledge

It may not be the popular trend

To quote the pledge, hand over heart;

Some backlash from the “me” generation

Hesitant to be a part of

Something larger than themselves.

They dodge all symbols of commitment,

Shunning lyrics of allegiance

With a scowl of vague resentment.

 

I was taught to show respect

And carry hubris in my stance

When symbols of my cherished land

Remind of my inheritance.

 

The brave, the fearless patriots

Who gladly gave their all.

Who held her battle colors high

And never let them fall.

 

Red for those who shed their blood

So others might live free.

White, for virtues unreproached

And cherished purity.

Blue proclaims our loyalty,

No thought of sacrilege.

 

Yes, I will stand and raise my hand

With pride to quote the pledge.

 

A Ballad of Nations

Here in this land where all are free

To enjoy the triumph of liberty

We celebrate a history

Of constant faith and loyalty.

 

Beneath Her broad majestic skies

A royal feast enchants our eyes

And every day brings new surprises

Filled with fruitful energy.

 

We are one people, proud and strong

With balance between right and wrong

Who bravely sing our victory song

For us and for our progeny.

 

When the storm clouds overcome

And fate belays our dream,

We’ll lift the torch of liberty

Rejoicing in Her golden beam.

 

Kingdoms will fade and empires go

In melancholic fits of woe,

But this republic continues to grow

To seek its greatest destiny.

 

And when it all is said and done

We will look back on all we’ve won.

 

Fireworks Over the Harbor

Boom – Pop – Pow – Rumble –

Flash – Sparkle – Ooh and Wow!

Glistening off the black harbor waters

Like flames on a mirror to hypnotize.

 

Dazzling the gathering throng

With magical brilliance of wonderment

In fervent celebration of

Our cherished nation’s dazzling rise.

 

Glint and glitter,

Flurry and flicker,

The rockets shrill shriek of dismay,

The burst and the blaze of

The fierce cannonade.

How can anyone dare walk away?

 

We are rows of corn

Gazing into the skies

To the rich psychedelic

Feast for the eyes.

And fantasy flourishes to extreme,

Uplifting the soul…

Inspiring the dream.

 

Courage

Courage is a baby duckling

Blindly following its mother

Without question, without knowing

Where the final outcome leads.

 

Courage is a strangling oak

Pushing up through stony grounds,

Needing only sun and rain

To win its struggle to survive.

 

Courage is the patriot

Who hides his feelings deep inside

But stands with pride with hat in hand

Each time the colors pass him by.

 

No threat too trivial to challenge,

Even death cannot deter

This loyal servant from his duty,

Valliant to the bitter end.

 

When the world grows dark we seek

These bold, intrepid sentinels

To bear the cause of liberty,

For freedom grows where courage dwells.

 

Sing it Again

Sing me a song of a bright peerless dawn

Under crystalline cloudless skies,

Where the air breathes clean

Over mountain and stream

And the golden eagle flies.

 

Sing me a song of the land that I love

In a gentle lullaby,

Where I can live free

In sublime liberty

As the years roll quietly by.

 

Sing me a song of a patriot’s dream

And his fearless battle cry,

With his ungrudging guile,

His will and his wile

And the fire in his eye.

 

Sing me a song about freedom’s hope

With the soothing strains of violin.

Sing softly and sweet

And when it’s complete,

If you don’t mind, please,

Sing it again.

 

Liberty’s Lighthouse

Standing on the precipice

High above the pounding surf

Where oceans feud with continents

In clamorous retort,

She lifts her lamp to launch a light of

Welcoming and warning,

A blaze of brilliant radiance to

Guide her wayward waifs to port.

 

Where do you live, sweet Liberty?

What stories will you tell?

Why such a heavy price to pay to

Ride your carousel?

Why must you be so hard to win and

Harder yet to keep?

So many brave souls fight and die,

So many mothers weep. 

 

Alas, we mortals need exist 

In all our frailty,

With but one passion, one desire to

Live perfectly free.

We guard the night

Prepared to fight forever and a day,

And Liberty’s steadfast lighthouse

Is there to light the way.

 

If Only…

If the world could be

What I want it to be,

I would love to see

All God’s creatures run free.

 

All the fish in the seas

Every bird in the trees

All in sweet harmony

Like a Brahms symphony.

 

And the people agree

With a joyous esprit

To the posh potpourri,

Such a grand jamboree.

 

Every you, every me,

Every he, every she

Finds a new fantasy

For all eternity,

 

No more dark drudgery,

No more debauchery.

Kindness is the decree

To the highest degree.

 

Every heart filled with glee,

Every life fancy-free,

Love is our recipe.

If only…

If the world could be…

 

The Dissident

It makes you wonder sometimes

Who these lame complainers are.

Why don’t they simply get on board and

March lockstep with the crowd?

 

Who do they really think they’re fooling

With their roars and rallies and cries?

Why do they seem so angry and

Why are they so damned loud?

 

They are the voice of conscience.

They are our soul’s sounding board.

They’re nearby to give us balance

When we’re falling on our sword.

 

A young and struggling nation

Was quick to recognize

That the scorching voice of dissidence

Was the footpath to their prize.

 

The voices of Adams and Franklin and Paine

Like a bell in sweet liberty’s day,

Speaking of sovereignty, aching for freedom,

Seeking, demanding! and willing to pay.

 

If not for these dissidents making their waves

Our nation would never be free.

And so, it’s essential to protect our right

To speak volumes when we disagree.

 

Reach for the Moon (20 July, 1969)

Shall we reach for the moon?

For the planets beyond?

Do we dare break the bonds of

This blue marble sphere?

Or ought we intern

In this staid domicile

Til eternity catches us

Trembling in fear?

 

The thirst for adventure,

To search the unknown,

To reach the unreachable

Next milestone.

Is the yardstick a test of our ability

To stretch beyond reason irrationally?

 

We look to the heavens.

We long for the stars.

We wonder and dream about

Life up on Mars.

 

What once an impossible

Thought to commune

Becomes commonplace

As we reach for the moon.

 

We’re Not Perfect

Utopia is but a dream

With multicolored feathers

That flitter as they flutter

Through a phosphorescent night.

No qualms, no trepidation,

Only peaceful coexistence, 

So lovely to envision,

So fleeting in the light.

 

Alas, we are not perfect.

We can never know this Shangri-La,

This paradise of worldly wealth

Where pure nirvana touches all.

 

The best that we can hope for is

A land of opportunity where

Each on each might have a voice

And all may share the waterfall

Where none need fear the tyrant’s rage

And no voice need be still,

Where kindness, hope and charity

Are wealth to compensate the bill.

 

Show Your Colors

Show your colors loud and proud to

Watch them soar with glory.

View with eyes that chase the prize of

Passions age-old story.

 

Let your flag unfurl with flourish

To a brash brass band to

Inspire the spirit of the masses

All throughout the hinterland.

 

With red on white on white on red

The purest rays of valor shine as

Starlight dusts a field of blue

Where faith and justice intertwine.

 

The peerless quest of freedom’s child

Glides towering on eagles wings

Inspiring loyal partisans

As throngs of grateful choirs sing.

 

And though she be not faultless

In her bearing or her scope,

She is still the perfect symbol of

Unending boundless hope.

 

Freedom

Freedom is a hummingbird,

Fleeting, fast and fragile with

Bright wings that sing in rhythmic dreams

The perfect jewel of joyful faith,

Seeking out the beautiful, the

Flowing flowers of the field,

To drink the nectar of her bloom and

All her gifts disseminate.

 

Freedom is a golden eagle

Sailing on a wafting zephyr,

Unencumbered by the straining

Baleful bonds of gravity.

Confident that none may rise to

Purloin his emancipation.

Soaring over mountains high

He sets his own alternatives.

 

Freedom is a mountaintop

Rising where no roads may tread,

Wearing robes of purest white while

Bleeding rivers rife with hope.

Tendrils flush with provender

Reaching meadows near and far

To nurture countless leas of flowers

And feed sweet freedoms hummingbird.

 

Open the Cages

Open the cages and

Let loose the lions.
Set free the spirit that

Nature bequeaths to

Rule vast domain and

Roar into the fury,

To know the sweet victory

Freedom affirms.

 

Dangerous prospect in

Waking the beast whose

Heart knows no fear,

Whose angst knows no peace.

An unsated hunger that

Drives ever forward

Giving no quarter,

Accepting no terms.

 

Open the cages of life

If you dare.

Challenge all foes,

Let the full world beware.

 

To Weather the Storm

Caught in the maelstrom of twisted confusion,

Fickle chameleon dancing to dirges of

Lonely lost causes, so long forgotten,

Misbegotten paltry plans.

 

Tightly attuned to the vast range of changes

All muddled and muddied by dark empty urges,

Hiding in corners, alone and ashamed,

Unable to think, unwilling to stand.

 

Too long the victim.

Yes, far too long to

Writhe in these shadows while Satan cajoles and

Controls every nuance, first to last,

As quivering fools suffer under his hand.

 

Now is the time and here is the station where

Heroes stand tall and courage unfolds

Like an unfurling flag defying the wind to

Inspire the spirit, boasting command.

 

Shielding the precious, the cherished from harm,

Finding safe harbor to weather the storm.

 

The Flag Retirement

Crisp Autumn frost biting noses and toes as

A reverent assemblage awaits the occasion.

No anger or protest, no mock revolution,

Just love and respect for the symbol at hand.

 

Young men in uniform move briskly with purpose

To tender the flame’s resolute preparation.

They gather their linens, all tattered and worn,

The emblem of liberty throughout the land.

 

In staid ceremony, a crisp call to order,

A calm benediction of gentle persuasion.

“The line forms right here

To bring forth your banners”

To place on the pyre through the dirge of the band.

 

I stand at attention, hat in hand.

My eyes are aghast with the realization

The flame purifies, sanctifies, canonizes

In ways nary a soul will misunderstand.

 

She Stands in the Harbor

A gift.

A magnanimous, thoughtful gift

From her sister nation across the sea.

Born from the love of freedom

And faith in the kindness of humanity.

She stands in the harbor overlooking

The portal of hope. Her torch held high

To hail the ships, to light the path in

Silence, never asking why.

 

Behind her the never-ending sprawl of

A steaming behemoth rides the horizon.

The mountains and trenches of concrete and steel

Scream a challenge of vast expanses beyond.

But she never waivers in her daunting task.

Her silent resolve makes a solemn decree.

She beckons the weary to enter her shores and

Accept the bold challenge of sweet liberty.

 

She cannot deny them,

Will never forsake them,

Shall always enfold them in welcoming arms.

And all who believe in the bright torch of freedom

Forever defend her and keep her from harm.

 

Founding Fathers

There were no blueprints in those early days;

Just ragged tomes and scrolls from eons past

With cryptic jargon and philosophies

Of overstated misbegotten text.

 

The pieces are all there in scattered scrawl

Laid out before the gathering to weigh.

The gallant and outspoken breathing fire

As they beat their chests and cry for liberty.

 

Consensus fails to fill the room with glee

And harmony is but a poltergeist

Who manifests in vague chimeric veils

To dance and shift and gel to solid type.

 

And in the end their grand epiphany 

Befits the will of all who would be free.

 

Valhalla Awaits

The Ancients conceived and believed in the dream of

A golden land where the vanquished abide,

Those hero-inhabited hallowed halls,

           The splendor of Valhalla.

And the warrior weathers the

Flames of distress without fear or regret

For he knows in the end

His reward will surpass any

Wounds he may bear

As honor becomes his most trusted friend.

 

With valor and verve, he soars his spirit

To unnerving heights on rarified air.

No task too consuming,

No quest out of question,

He fights the brave fight to

Defend what is fair.

 

He must not fail.

He will not fail.

This valiant sentinel of war.

And when his sword and shield shall rest

He strolls Valhalla forevermore.

 

Free to Choose

There was a time - eons ago - when

Choices were much simpler.

A left, a right,

A yes or no,

On or off, up or down,

A smile, a frown, a blank response,

A pill to ease a restless night.

 

We were young with foolish hearts,

No thought of how the world ensues.

Little to win,

           Less to lose,

But we were free,

           Free to choose.

 

Now the weight of worlds roll by and

Here stand I dazed and confused.

The when and what,

The where and why,

My whole life passing in review.

 

But duty calls and I must go.

No petty purpose can excuse.

I will fight and

I will serve

So others may be free to choose.

 

Visions of Liberty

Dare I wake tempestuous dreams of

Stormy skies and trembling walls to

Stumble through the midnight mire,

The wanton waste named Yesterday.

 

Who can chase this clamoring cacophony of

Warning bells?

Who will quell this quivering, this shivering

Of servitude?

 

Once, in youth, a vision stirred

Beneath the willows sheltering arms

Where every heart is filled with hope,

A prophesy of pristine realms.

 

But fate is cruel and Caesar’s rule

Requires a tribute to be paid,

Hard decisions to be made before

The ogre overwhelms.

 

The muddled masses must arise

In fervor and intensity

To keep the dream, the quest alive.

The vision of sweet liberty.