.

With Liberty and Justice for All

Old Glory may have stripes and stars,
But on those stars and stripes are stains—
Reminders of a past that’s ours—
Where shame, as well as pride, remains.

The sweat of slavery is there;
The smoke from dim and flaring lamps;
The ash from Native rights stripped bare;
And Japanese internment camps.

And yet, thereon, we also see
The mingled stains of lifeblood shed
By those who fought for liberty:
Both White and Yellow, Black and Red.

The airmen known as “Tuskegee;”
The Native whisperers of code;
The “Four-Four-Second” Infantry;
And all who’ve walked that glory road.

One flag: For some it’s signified
The freedoms our forebears possessed.
For others, freedoms once denied,
But which, we pray, all now are blessed.

Today, beneath a stainless sky—
Because of those who fought and died
For liberty—that flag will fly
With blood and sweat both sanctified.

.

.

James A. Tweedie is a retired pastor living in Long Beach, Washington. He has written and published six novels, one collection of short stories, and three collections of poetry including Mostly Sonnets, all with Dunecrest Press. His poems have been published nationally and internationally in The Lyric, Poetry Salzburg (Austria) Review, California Quarterly, Asses of Parnassus, Lighten Up Online, Better than Starbucks, Dwell Time, Light, Deronda Review, The Road Not Taken, Fevers of the Mind, Sparks of Calliope, Dancing Poetry, WestWard Quarterly, Society of Classical Poets, and The Chained Muse. He was honored with being chosen as the winner of the 2021 SCP International Poetry Competition.

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6 Responses

  1. Paul Freeman

    I enjoyed this poem James. There are poems I see that I reckon should be in every history textbooks. This is one of them.

    I heard about the Tuskegees for the first time the other day in the film “Hart’s War”, with Terrence Howard, Bruce Willis and Collin Farrell. Well worth a watch.

    Thanks for the read.

    Reply
  2. Cynthia Erlandson

    Thank you, James, for a meaningful start to our nation’s Memorial Day.

    Reply
  3. Russel Winick

    Excellent poem. My favorite line is: “For liberty—that flag will fly.” Thank you for sharing this work.

    Reply
  4. Mary Gardner

    James, thank you for this fine poem. Our Nation has high ideals, and when we fall short, we pick ourselves up and keep striving.

    Reply
  6. Paul Oratofsky

    What an excellent poem! The language, music, rhymes, meter, air, and more – are as beautiful as its message.

    Good job, James.

    Reply

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