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Losing a Generation of Heroes
By Rich Reith
Losing a generation of heroes,
one by one,
day by day.
And the world is diminished by it.
Losing a generation of heroes,
who sacrificed the prime of their youth
and gave their lives
to preserve the freedom of all.
Women giving up husbands,
children,
brothers
for what was right -
and honorable.
Losing a generation of heroes
who built prosperity
through the sweat of their brow,
the work of their hands,
inventiveness of their minds,
and self reliance.
Losing a generation of heroes
who embraced hard work,
family values,
morals,
and patriotism
as the fabric of life.
Losing a generation of heroes,
citizen soldiers, Rosie Riveters,
prevailing over a perilous world
and building a better one
for posterity.
Losing a generation of heroes
every day,
every hour,
every minute,
and watch the world they built
undone
law by law, judgment by judgment,
by self-serving people
who never paid the price
who never made the sacrifice
who will never understand
and call their lack of understanding
"progress."
Losing a generation of heroes
while those who remain
cry
as they watch the foundation they built
crumble,
brick by brick,
standard by standard,
moral by moral,
by self-centeredness
and greed.
Losing a generation of heroes.
We mourn them
knowing
the world will never be the same.
Copyright © July 2003 by Rich Reith. All rights reserved
By Rich Reith
Losing a generation of heroes,
one by one,
day by day.
And the world is diminished by it.
Losing a generation of heroes,
who sacrificed the prime of their youth
and gave their lives
to preserve the freedom of all.
Women giving up husbands,
children,
brothers
for what was right -
and honorable.
Losing a generation of heroes
who built prosperity
through the sweat of their brow,
the work of their hands,
inventiveness of their minds,
and self reliance.
Losing a generation of heroes
who embraced hard work,
family values,
morals,
and patriotism
as the fabric of life.
Losing a generation of heroes,
citizen soldiers, Rosie Riveters,
prevailing over a perilous world
and building a better one
for posterity.
Losing a generation of heroes
every day,
every hour,
every minute,
and watch the world they built
undone
law by law, judgment by judgment,
by self-serving people
who never paid the price
who never made the sacrifice
who will never understand
and call their lack of understanding
"progress."
Losing a generation of heroes
while those who remain
cry
as they watch the foundation they built
crumble,
brick by brick,
standard by standard,
moral by moral,
by self-centeredness
and greed.
Losing a generation of heroes.
We mourn them
knowing
the world will never be the same.
Copyright © July 2003 by Rich Reith. All rights reserved
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reading of the poem
reading of the poem