Beneath the skies of red, white, blue,
Where freedom’s song is ever new,
We gather not with grief alone,
But with a pride that’s deeply grown.
We speak their names, the brave and the bold,
Whose stories in our hearts we hold.
They gave their breath and took their final stand,
To guard the dreams this nation planned.
From fields of dawn to oceans wide,
They walked with honor at their side.
Not seeking glory, praise, or fame
But life and liberty’s true flame.
Their silence speaks in waving flags,
In folded cloth and marble tags.
Yet in that quiet, echoes rise
A promise woven through the skies.
For every star in twilight’s gleam
Still burns with hope, still fuels the American dream.
That all may live with voice and grace,
In every town, in every place.
They fought so children yet unborn
Could wake to peace, not war’s harsh horn.
To chase their joy, to shape their way,
And build tomorrow from today.
We do not mourn alone this hour
We celebrate their lasting power.
Their legacy is not just loss
It’s courage nailed upon the cross
Of freedom’s cost and duty’s call,
The strength to rise, though some may fall.
And so we lift both song and cheer
Because they loved us, we persevered.
So let the trumpets proudly play,
On this, our sacred holiday.
For in their gift, we see anew
That life, and liberty, and truth
Still pulse within this nation’s soul,
Still guide us toward a higher goal.
And as we walk beneath their light,
We vow to guard what they made right.
America’s promise, bold and vast
Is carried forward by the past.
So let us live not just to be
But to protect the brave and free.
Monday, May 26th, 2025
By David Franklin (New Mexico)