Good afternoon, everyone –
In this special edition of Quotemail, the Editor once again turns the microphone over to his younger cousin, Sophie Fairgate, to introduce this fortnight’s dispatch:
This Memorial
Day, let us take a moment to remember and honor those who have given their
lives in service to their country. In this edition of Quotemail, we have
collected some of the most powerful and moving poems – and a prose passage –
about the sacrifices of our soldiers.
“Decoration
Day”
By Evaleen
Stein (1863-1923)
See the soldiers,
little ones!
Hark
the drummers' beat!
See them with
their flags and guns
Marching down the street!
Tattered flags
from out the wars,
Let
us follow these
To the little
stripes and stars
Twinkling through the trees.
Watch them waving
through the grass
Where
the heroes sleep!
Thither gently let
us pass
On
this day we keep.
Let us bring our
blossoms, too,
All
our gardens grow;
Lilacs honey-sweet
with dew,
And
the lilies' snow.
Every posy of the
May,
Every
bloomy stem,
Every bud that
breaks to-day
Gather now for them.
Lay the lilies
o’er them thus,
Lovingly, for so
Down they laid
their lives for us,
Long
and long ago.
Heap above them
bud and bough;
Softly, ere we cease,
God, we pray Thee,
gently now
Fold
them in Thy peace!
“Memorial Day”
By Joyce Kilmer
(1886-1918)
The bugle echoes
shrill and sweet,
But not of war it
sings today.
The road is
rhythmic with the feet
Of men-at-arms who
come to pray.
The rose blossoms
white and red
On tombs where
weary soldiers lie;
Flags wave above
the honored dead
And martial music
cleaves the sky.
Above their
wreath-strewn graves we kneel,
They kept the
faith and fought the fight.
Through flying
lead and crimson steel
They plunged for
Freedom and the Right.
May we, their
grateful children, learn
Their strength,
who lie beneath this sod,
Who went through
fire and death to earn
At last the
accolade of God.
In shining rank on
rank arrayed,
They march, the
legions of the Lord;
He is their
Captain unafraid,
The Prince of
Peace. . . who brought a sword.
“In Flanders
Fields”
By Dr. John
McCrae (1872-1918)
Editor’s Note:
This poem was written by a Canadian army surgeon who served in World War I.
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.
“A Memorial Day
Prayer”
By Kira
Brennan, Staff Writer for the RHC Fortnightly Quotemail Blog
Lord, we beseech
you, hear our plea
For love and
compassion's light.
Turn our despair
to hope and joy
And lead us
through the lonely night.
For in thy grace,
we place our trust,
And with thy
guidance, we will work
To end the wars
and hatreds here,
To build a world
where peace is sparked.
Oh day of peace,
come swiftly in,
To claim us as thy
children,
And may we ever
seek thy face,
Till peace comes
to the world again.
Camp Butler National Cemetery, near Springfield, Illinois, is the final resting place of the Editor’s late father, who was a proud veteran of the World War II era. (Image Credit: Digital artwork created by the Editor.)
“In Great
Deeds” by Joshua Chamberlain (1828-1914, Union General from Maine)
In great deeds,
something abides. On great fields, something stays. Forms change and pass;
bodies disappear; but spirits linger, to consecrate ground for the vision-place
of souls. … Generations that know us not and that we know not of, heart-drawn
to see where and by whom great things were suffered and done for them, shall
come to this deathless field, to ponder and dream; and lo! The shadow of a
mighty presence shall wrap them in its bosom, and the power of the vision pass
into their souls.
Requiescant
omnes in pace. (May they all rest in peace.)
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