Here’s to the enduring spirit of the Fourth of July,

Flags whipping briskly against azure skies,

Dazzling fireworks exploding noisily way up high,

And, somewhere, a soldier dies.

That sacred life should never be spent in vain,

No patriots singing piously of fruited plains

While grasping, venal men reap selfish gain

Shaming our Flag with dishonor’s stain.

So many souls come to Heaven’s gates,

Having given their all to assure our fate,

Dying so this nation would always be great,

Its citizens standing fearless and straight.

America must retain possession of its soul,

And continue to nourish those spirits bold

Who strive toward that noble goal -

Melding diversity into a harmonious whole.

 God grant that glorious dream come true,

Nourished by the Red, White, and Blue,

Where brave, honest folk receive their just due

As they secure our beloved country’s dreams anew.

*‘O say does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave

O’er the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave?’

© Thurman P. Woodfork 7/4/2007

*The Star-Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key.