Patriotism Poem- Ways to be Patriotic & How 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 naive

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 been 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 naive

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!

^{Kristen Burns-Darling © 2011 (all rights reserved)}