Amid skies of blue and seas of green
There’s a promised land that lies between
Where America’s youth will sign their name
They’ll train to fight they’ll play war games
Then terror strikes the nation fears
And mothers eyes swell up with tears
How many parents will have to be told
Your son died brave your son died bold
They know the cost, they take the risk
And then upon one morning brisk
The sound of gunfire heard in the distance
Bullets pierce metal with little resistance
Rotor blades slice through the air like a knife
As eight brave men take their last breaths of life
Casualties of war now there are ten
A fate they knew well but held deep within
The price of our freedom is innocence lost
But freedom we’ll keep no matter the cost
Twenty one gun salutes young men laid to rest
They gave their all they gave their best
Courage under fire whatever it brings
Paying the ultimate price to let freedom ring
Ralph W. Hayward
03-06-02
GOING TO WAR
I STRAIN TO LOOK THROUGH SWOLLEN EYES
AND I SEE MUCH TO MY SURPRISE
THE TEARY EYES OF FATHERS AND MOTHERS
OF WIVES AND CHILDREN, SISTERS AND BROTHERS
BUT I JUST STAND HERE ALL ALONE
AND WATCH THE WAVES OF THOSE UNKNOWN
FOR NO ONE CAME TO WATCH ME GO
TO FIGHT THE WAR AND KEEP PRICES LOW
NO ONE CAME TO SAY GOOD BYE
I MUST BE STRONG, I CANNOT CRY
FIVE THOUSAND MEN WILL LEAVE TODAY
FOR OUR RETURN WE HOPE AND PRAY
I FEEL SO COLD AND SO ALONE
PLEASE SOMEONE MISS ME WHEN I'M GONE
WE'RE GOING TO WAR AGAINST IRAQ
NOT KNOWING WHEN WE WILL BE BACK
WE'LL FIGHT ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT SO LONG
WE'LL FIGHT REAL HARD WE'LL FIGHT REAL STRONG
WE'LL FIGHT BY DAY IN THE BLAZING SUN
WE'LL FIGHT UNTIL THE WAR IS WON
SOME OF OUR OWN WILL SURELY DIE
WHO CARES IF ONE OF THEM IS I?
SIT AND WONDER AS MY TEARS BURN
WILL YOU BE THERE IF I RETURN?
MEMORIAL DAY
PEACEFUL, BEAUTIFUL MOONLIT NIGHT,
FILLED WITH YOUNG LOVERS IN LOVE.
STARS SHINING AMIDST A SEMI-FULL MOON.
GRILLS GRILLING, BUG LIGHTS BUGGING,
CLOUDS CLOUDING, MOON MOONING,
THE WARMTH OF THE DAY STILL WARMING.
ALL ON THIS DAY OF REMEMBRANCE.
TRIBUTE TO HEROES LOST, FOREVER GONE, NEVER FORGOTTEN.
THE PERFECT END TO A PERFECT DAY.
THANK GOD FOR THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR ALL.
SO MUCH FOR ME, SO MUCH FOR YOU.
FOR PEACE AND FREEDOM NEVER TO FALL.
FOR OUR TORN AND TATTERED RED, WHITE AND BLUE.
