Freedom by Helen Hunt Jackson
What freeman knoweth freedom? Never he
Whose father’s father through long lives have reigned
O’er kingdoms which mere heritage attained.
Though from his youth to age he roam as free
As winds, he dreams not freedom’s ecstacy.
But he whose birth was in a nation chained
For centuries; where every breath was drained
From breasts of slaves which knew not there could be
Such thing as freedom,–he beholds the light
Burst, dazzling; though the glory blind his sight
He knows the joy. Fools laugh because he reels
And weilds confusedly his infant will;
The wise man watching with a heart that feels
Says: “Cure for freedom’s harms is freedom still.”
What are you thankful for today?
I am thankful for freedom and for all the men and women who fought for our freedom.
How do we remember the men we’ve lost?
How can we tell them they’re still being missed?
That every day, especially on this crisp autumn day
Their memories still linger and they’re not forgotten
That what they’ve done are truly appreciated
Would wearing poppies and lighting candles do?
Lest we forget, lest we forget
Men of valour and courage going to war
Every generation, there are some reasons
Of why men waged wars against each other
We send them there, some still boys and girls
Not knowing whether they’d still come back
The experience they’ve got, we don’t really know
And when they come back, are they still whole?
Our heroes, our loved ones, their sacrifices
Lest we forget, lest we forget
And so we remember them
We appreciate what they’ve done
To our countries and to our freedom
Wars are ugly, wars are unfair and wars are ruthless
But then they are necessary sometimes
Let’s just hope that peace and understanding come
Lest we forget, lest we forget
(c) ladyleemanila 2016
ladyleemanila 