POEMS

Memorial Day in CyberSpace has been granted permission from some very talented people to host their works here on our site for this very special holiday tribute.   I feel quite honored and very blessed to have met these wonderful, selfless people who are so willing to share their works and words with the CyberSpace community and the world.

Everything here is copyrighted by the writer/author except where explicitly specified.   I have included everyone's private Email addresses so that you may write to them directly should you wish to reproduce their works elsewhere or make personal comments about their specific works.

Contributors are Del “Abe” Jones whose poems are from his book, “THE WORLD, WAR, FREEDOM, AND MORE”; Bud Shott of DaKoTa's Mountain who memorialized the POW's Prayer in a beautiful graphic image displayed below (information on obtaining your own image is included in the text which appears on-top-of the graphic image itself); Joe, better known as VET66A; and Gunner Jim who is sharing the rap poem that he wrote about his experiences in Vietnam.

Anne Dunajcik shares the poem she wrote for her father who served in World War II and dedicates her poem entitled Thank You Dear Dad to all the World War II fathers! We are most honored to be able to host Anne's poem as she presented it to her father on Memorial Day 1999.

Our latest addition is Our POW/MIA Flag, a poem by Linh Duy Vo (The Boy in the Poem). Visit Linh's site, Gratitude. Linh Duy Vo is the author of Dear Daddy — A book of poetry by Linh Duy Vo. (More poems will follow. If you have a poem you would like to see displayed here write me and I will review it.)

Enjoy!





The POW's Prayer Graphic was created by Bud Shott.
If you would like one for your very own page,
drop Bud a line and he will send you one.
Thanks Bud for the honor of displaying it here!

Come to Me

God saw you were getting tired,
and a cure was not to be.
So he put his arms around you.
and whispered "Come to Me."

Although we love you dearly,
We could not make you stay.
With tearful eyes we watched you
As you slowly passed away.

A Golden heart stopped beating.
Hard working hands at rest.
God broke our hearts to prove to us.
He only takes the Best.

VET66A

Lend Me...

Lend me your eyes
so that I may see
the world as you.
Lend me your heart
so that I may feel
the love as you.
Lend me your love
so that I may
comfort and heal as you.
Lend me your shoes
so that I may walk
the same path as you.
Lend me your strength
so that I may be as
strong as you.
Lend me your hand
so that I may get up
and lend you mine.

VET66A

Our POW/MIA Flag

Without you, Sirs, who would raise
Our Old Glory at Iwo Jima
The American flag, red like the victorious sun
White like the clouds that lift your wings
Blue as the deep, infinite skies.
Without you, Sirs, who would protect our country,
Safekeeping America’s air, lands, and seas;
It’s our land of the free and home of the brave.
Let man forget not
You are the heart of this country
Past, Present, and Future
You are the heartbeats
That keep the soul of our Old Glory alive.
You are the POW/MIA flag…

Linh Duy Vo
(The Boy in the Poem)
Copyright © June 10, 1999 by Linh Duy Vo. All rights reserved.
Visit Linh Duy Vo's Gratitude — http://www.gratitude.org

Gunner Jim's Rap Poem

Written in 1988

I am a Veteran and what can I say
'cept I am Airborne all the way –
Now during my Tour; sixty-seven-sixty-eight
I was wounded by mortar that did not wait –
Lost left eye by metal from a strong exploded shell
then was flown to DanNang 'cause I was not well –
A doctor there said, "He's out, not going back"
(At least not sent home, home in a sack) –
By chopper they sent me to a hospital ship
where the doctors operate and don't want to slip –
Those that patched me, first cut through my skull
to take metal out so I would heal well –
They kept me on the ship for 'bout fifteen days
then they flew me back home...(USA!) to stay –
In Letterman General Hospital, California state
months of re-learning 'cause my reading was late –
Then, well enough to live-in with Mom and step-dad
like other Nam-vets, was happy but sad –
August sixty-eight on a wonderful day
with hospital retirement along with pay –
Today I am happy in happy tears
'cause God gave me 30 extra years...
"So far"!

“AIRBORNE ALL THE WAY TO GOD”

Gunner Jim

Memorial Day

A time for picnics, time off work -
Vacations and the “Indy” -
A holiday, too often times
We forget what, it should be.

A time to pay respect to those
Who rallied to the battle cry -
Who gave their lives for liberty -
Those freedoms for you and I.

Such a waste of brave young souls -
Some still struggling through their youth
Who faced and fell willingly
Before wartimes’ awful truth.

So as we share this holiday
With our friends or family -
Take a moment to give thanks to
Those who died so we’d stay free.

Let us strive for world peace -
For the end of greed and hate -
For next time, after “the war”
It just may be too damned late.

Del “Abe” Jones

Freedoms’ Memorial

This day is set aside
to honor those
who took the chance to die.
But they have died in vain

if we ever forget
the reason why.
Freedom can be like time
slipping away

before we even know.
But we all have the choice
more, a duty
to battle freedoms’ foe.

Let us give thanks this day
to all those brave
who paid the highest cost.
Not take it for granted

and realize
it easily could be lost.

Del “Abe” Jones

The Wall

There’s a wall of marble
Five hundred feet long -
Ten feet high, scribed with names
Of those who died, the strong.

There’s more than fifty-eight thousand
Etched upon that stone -
Most of them died so young
This life, they’ve never known.

It’s such a small tribute
To those who fought our war -
Such a small price we pay
To those who gave much more.

Their name carved in a rock
That most of us won’t read -
Not near enough praise to give
For their most gracious deed.

Seems there’s too many of us
Who don’t really seem to care
That we stayed home secure and safe
While they died over there.

Remember when you see that Wall
With all those initials and names
That those men were only pawns
In one more of those deadly games.

Let’s hope what they gave had meaning -
And that peace will always reign -
That we won’t have to send our young
To fight and die again.

Del “Abe” Jones

Old Glory

More than two hundred years ago
Betsy Ross sewed strips of rag -
From those bits of colored cloth
Was shaped “Old Glory,” our grand flag.

Stripes of red and white
For the thirteen colonies -
White stars against the blue
Began waving in the breeze.

It’s gone through minor changes -
With stars added, as we grew -
It’s flown proudly o’er our land
And in some other countries, too.

That symbol of our freedom -
Should be protected, at all cost -
But now our reverence for it
Seems, to be getting lost.

There are some things so sacred
To our great American way
That, those who desecrate it
Should, have a price, to pay.

Even though each buys his own
That flag belongs to us all -
It’s owned by all the people
And we should never let it fall.

Del “Abe” Jones

The Good Ol’ Days

They said, “It’s alright to burn it.”
“You can throw it to the ground.”
“You can wear it on your back.
That symbol of the freedom bound.

It’s been through catastrophes -
Flown high in wartimes’ strife -
Men swore they would protect it
And did so with their life.

What makes them so supreme -
The high court of this land
To tell us when those Stars and Stripes
Should fall; when they should stand.

What right do they think they have
To let our flag be set ablaze -
Once, it was loved and respected -
Back there, in the good ol’ days.

Del “Abe” Jones




MEMORIAL DAY 1999
To: Francis R. Duffy, Purple Heart Recipient,
World War II Veteran, St. Louis, MO . . .

And to all World War II Veterans

Thank You Dear Dad

Thank you dear Dad
For answering the call
Your bravery in World War II
helped America stand tall

My generation doesn't even understand
What your generation did for our land
How you left…mere boys of eighteen
To go fight at places yet unseen

To experience horror, pain and fear
And yet you went
To fight for everything
America held dear

You went without even asking why
You went knowing you could possibly die

Dear Dad, you should be honored every day
And yet you never mention it
Do you remember it in your heart?
Are you proud that you did your part?

World War II men possess strengths
That my generation doesn't even know
Quiet bravery, courage & unity
against a common foe

You were tested in countless ways untold
Yet you marched forth in battle, proud and bold
You saw stories that are too awful to recall
You saw your fellow soldiers and friends fall

Then, you came back, married, raised a family
Built a country too, now prosperous and free
Time marched on…steady and true
And now 50 years later, we still remember you

You are grandfather's now and your hair is gray
You'll always be our hero, for you led the way
To a country where my children play
Strong and free every single day

The trials you endured
The things you saw
They know not the cost
Nor the friends you lost

But we will teach them the lessons,
You taught with your lives
About courage and dignity and the
Will to survive

About the great ideal of democracy
About the price you paid
To live in the "the home of the free"

So thank you dear Dad
I can't express it enough
I appreciate you for being so tough

Thank you, dear Dad for being so strong
Thank you, dear Dad for standing up against wrong
You'll always be my hero and America's too
We will always be indebted to you

Thanks for going long ago
Thanks for securing this blessed life I know
Thanks for fighting to keep us free
Thanks for saving the future for me

Anne Dunajcik

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