A Memorial Day Oration (2025)

Among beautiful, tranquil rolling hills,

My heart stills.

Miles of testaments to the brave,

No end to the graves.

By time moss-covered

Or recently discovered

Old and new alongside

Building national pride.

I trudge ahead

Gazing upon they who have bled,

Victims of strife,

Givers of life.

To homeland they did not return

To speak to them my soul yearns

To ask how to honor sacrifice.

Without words, they advise:

No matter how bad things seem,

If politics extreme,

If sanity extinct,

All society is linked.

Look around,

At every background.

Age, Class, Occupation,

Gender, Race, Religion.

Leading and the led

Living and the dead

Future-born

An oath sworn.

Americans all, 100%

Reflection frequent

Until remains no doubt-

Unity is what the USA is about.

For we who paid the ultimate price

Anything less will not suffice.

With the reminders before me,

I fall onto my knees.

With the fallen I make a pact,

A most scared contract.

Not only on the last Monday in May

But forever the fact will stay

All are citizens, deserving respect

Of proper treatment they expect.

With passion eager

I beseech you reader:

To always remember

January to December

Monday to Sunday

Weather fair or grey

Whether happy or sad

Grateful or mad

At the state of the Earth

To the USA add worth

’Tis my Memorial Day oration

To our most glorious nation.