Monday, May 28, 2007

Welcome, one and all

...to this inaugural posting of the Fourth Annual Patriot’s Journey.

Joining us this year are:

• JimK of Right Thoughts
• Scott of Speed Of Thought
• Larry of The Bastidge (who apparently got started a day early), and
• Cosmicbabe

The simple fact that we have ANYONE joining us on this Journey is one of the subtlest benefits of the First Amendment.

Y’see, the First Amendment covers a whole lot of ground. It guarantees that Congress cannot prevent us from getting together (freedom of association) whether with religious (freedom of religious belief) or secular intentions (petition the government for redress of grievances) or even patriotic ones, such as “we few, we happy few, we Band of Brothers”…

But today, let us remember the reason for this day, and pay tribute to those fallen heroes.

In Flanders Field

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.

John McCrae, 1915.

And another…

Taps

Day is done, gone the sun,
From the lake, from the hills, from the sky;
All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.

Go to sleep, peaceful sleep,
May the soldier or sailor, God keep.
On the land or the deep, Safe in sleep.

Fading light, dims the sight,
And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright.
From afar, drawing nigh, falls the night.

Thanks and praise, for our days,
‘Neath the sun, ‘neath the stars, neath the sky;
As we go, this we know, God is nigh.

Sun has set, shadows come,
Time has fled, Scouts must go to their beds
Always true to the promise that they made.

While the light fades from sight,
And the stars gleaming rays softly send,
To thy hands we our souls, Lord, commend.

God bless our fallen heroes.