Americans Fight to Keep Our Freedom

During my grammar school years we had assembly every morning to start the new school day. It would always begin by the students and faculty placing our hand over our heart and saying, The Pledge of Allegiance. Then, we would be told the agenda for the day; new students would be welcomed and other announcements that concerned us were made during that time.

That was a much simpler time, I miss those days. Anyway; one morning at assembly, all the students that attended my school were asked to participate in a national poetry competition. If a student's poem from our school won, the school would receive an item or items that were badly needed ( I can’t remember just what it was), also the student would receive an award and a prize. This was right up my alley, since I loved writing poetry.

At this time; I had relatives; older cousins, that were in Vietnam. I had overheard the family discussing the dangerous situation they were in many times. In those days, children didn’t enter into adult conversations. So to express my feelings, I would write. I had written quite a few patriotic poems during those sad and frightening days.

At the urging of my mother, I decided to enter one of my poems in the competition. So the next day; I gave one of my hand written poems to my teacher, who passed it on to the principal. I don’t know where it went from there. A month or so later and much to my surprise, I was told that I had won third place in this National competition.

At the morning assembly, I was called from the audience and onto the stage, where I was presented the third place ribbon and a cash prize of twenty dollars. The audience, which consist mainly of my peers and teachers, stood and applauded as I left the stage. I felt proud and received even more congratulations from instructors and students as we left the auditorium and made our way to the classrooms. 

For a long time after I received this award, I was asked to recite this same little poem at many different functions. I was very young and although I loved writing poetry, I didn’t enjoy getting on stage in front of crowds of strangers and there seemed no end to the continual request. I remember thinking to myself, I’m never going to write anything again and I didn't for quite a while.

 I eventually did start writing again, I couldn’t help myself. I would be filled to capacity with thoughts and emotions that I needed to somehow get out. I felt as though I would burst at the seams; so once again I began to express them on paper, just like always. I wrote in secrecy. I hid my poetry and other writings in my bedroom, under my mattress. My parents would never demand or pressure but would gently nudge me to write again but I would tell them, I simply wasn't interested.

I always thought that my mother suspected that I was still writing. Sometimes she would open my bedroom door to tell me dinner was ready or remind me to do something, and would catch me writing or in very deep thought. I would slide my notebook under my pillow and she would pretend that she didn't notice my sly little move. 

   Years later I found that she had always known about my secret writings,she was just allowing me to have my privacy. More importantly, she knew that writing was the way that I expressed and dealt with my emotions, worries and desires. She understood me more than I knew. She is in Heaven now and I miss her very much. I look forward to seeing her again one day.

I can barely remember all the poems I wrote so many years ago. Though this particular one, I know by heart, mainly because I had to recite it so many times and almost always under a spotlight and The star Spangled Banner playing low in the background.

   As I said before, I wrote this poem when I was a young girl, sometime in the 1960’s. I was so impressed and touched by the fact that we were able to sit in our homes, enjoy family dinners, go to the movies or do whatever we wished, while other Americans were so far away putting their lives on the line to fight for the freedoms we enjoyed and took so for granted. I would like to share the poem with you as I feel the core message is still relevant today. 

Away, across the deep dark sea,

Americans are fighting for you and me.

Fighting for the ones they love,

fighting and using their faith in God above.

So, when you kneel to pray,

ask God to guide their way.

don’t forget our boys who lay,

down their lives, day by day.

Just say, help them do their best,

to fight these people called Communist.