Souper Saturday

My friend Shiloh; you remember Shiloh, I know; inspired me again with one of ner posts.  This one an ABC’s of Independence Day.  You can find hers at:

http://sunnydreamer.net/janu-dec2009/patriotic-feeling.shtml

 

My ABC’s are below:

 

The ABC’s of Independence Day

 

A is for Atlantic,

Wide Ocean between

The Colonies and King.

Betwixt the two.

Views and ideas

Were changed

And then challenged.

 

B is for Betsy Ross,

Leaning over her sewing

In red, white and blue.

Stripes and Stars,

Symbolising the Hopes

Of Thirteen Colonies

Seeking freedom.

 

C is for Continental Congress,

Penning the words:

“We hold these truths to

Be Self-Evident,

That all men are created equal.

Endowed by their Creator

With certain unalienable rights.”

 

D is for “Don’t tread on me”,

Emblazoned beneath a snake

Coiled to strike out in defence.

A banner to rally round

An ideal to fight for

A country to begin building

A dream now dreamt around the world.

 

E is for Equal,

“All men are created equal.”

We still strive towards this.

Men should be counted by their deeds;

Not by the colour of their skin

The label on their faith

Or where they live.

 

F is for French,

Our Allies across the sea,

The creators of Lady Liberty.

Whether explorers, Nobility,

Simple Farmers, or trappers

These amis have become

Part of the faces and names here.

 

G is for Guerrilla Warfare

Quite the change from the

Stylised and rigid ways of war

Practised in Europe for years.

Hidden behind hillocks,

Or the rafters of barns

Were fearless rebels.

 

H is for History Teachers,

Passing on the stories of our

Forefathers’ deeds and dreams.

More than dates and places,

The story of what was won,

The dreams to be made real

The strength we are heir to.

 

I is for Indians,

The first, true Americans,

More than Pocahontas.

Whether it was Crazy Horse

In the South West,

Or Squanto

In the North West.

 

J is for Justice;

As in “Justice for all.”

The way the founders meant it.

Not for just the moneyed few,

The famed and beautiful folks,

Or those with political power,

But for every single American.

 

K is for Key;

The composer Francis Scott Key,

Witnessing a battle at night.

“Oh say can you see

By the dawn’s early light?

What so proudly we hailed

At the twilight’s least gleaming.”

 

Lis for Life,

All men are ordained with certain unalienable rights,

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

By these lofty ideals we were begun,

None are but chattels,

Not by name, race or faith

Can they be denied.

 

M is for Marquis,

The Marquis de Lafayette

Leaving his homeland.

To support  via deed

Finance spent upon it

This pretty dream,

That will be America.

 

N is for National Anthem,

Sing it standing,

With hand o’er heart.

Sing out in the voice

Of millions of dreams

“Whose broad stripes and bright stars

Through the perilous fight.”

 

O is for Open Elections,

Over two hundred years

Of National intention.

We are free to choose

Who our leaders will be

They are not born to the role,

But should earn it through service.

 

P is for  Pie;

All-American pastry treat,

Full  of juicy apples,   of course.

One of the trio

Of American symbols

With seasons of Baseball,

And barbequed Hot Dogs.

 

Q is for Quitters,

Something that the rebels weren’t

No, they held on no matter how drear.

With feet frozen,

Clothed in near rags.

With no food in their bellies

Or fire for warmth.

 

R is for Red Coats

The British uniform,

Also called Lobsterbacks.

The bright red jackets

And crossed white bands

They were walking targets

For the Sons of Liberty.

 

S is Stars and Stripes,

The bright-hued  flag

That watches o’er this land.

Stripes of red and white

Stars of shining white

On their field of blue

One for each original colony.

 

T is Taxation,

Our forefathers decreed

Taxation without representation unfair.

We were granted to right

To say nay to taxes

We deemed unfair

Or unnecessary.

 

U is for Under Siege,

Something we have survived

Time and time again.

From the Revolutionary War,

To the Civil War/War of Northern Aggression,

On the balmy shores of Pearl Harbor

And the Towers of 9-11.

 

V is Valley Forge

A frozen and starved bivouac

For the fledgling army.

Despite the icy darkness

Stars hidden by clouds

Very few fires for warmth,

Still the patriots persevered.

 

W is for  White House’

Home of our Leaders

And Fortress of our hopes.

It has housed Heroes, Royalty from everywhere

Movie stars and starlets

And the lines of everymen that

Tour her halls and our heritage.

 

X is for “X”-tremes

The complementing climates

Of fifty diverse states.

From Alaska’s sub-Arctic climes,

To Hawaii’s tropical shores.

We boast forests, mountains,

Oceans and lakes, and deserts.

 

Y is for Youthful Outlook,

That our culture can boast,

Born of many ways and places.

From the souls of every country,

In dances fast or slow,

In the voice of many instruments,

And stories immigrating with us.

 

Z is for Zephyr,

Those sweet cooling breezes

Wafting past our waning grills.

Seated in lawn chairs, or stadium seats,

Awaiting the magic

In fireworks’ shifting glow.