“Ghost Carrier” by Paddy McCann
life unexamined
floats free of all principle
a ghost in the wind
(originally posted April 2013)
Principles
All posts tagged Principles
Image From VFW
hauled my flag down today
bitter winds took their toll
solemn tattered torn ribbons
laid smartly in three-cornered fold
upon purified flames of respect
the most durable weave
won’t withstand disrespect
brute storms of invective
political factions who shred
cherished emblems and principles
founders now quake in their graves
beneath airwaves of profane
campaigns of disloyal self-interest
a new flag won’t be flown
till we realize we’re better than this
“Olympic Track” by LeRoy Neiman
the best of us
bodies and minds
strong and supple
unbowed and unjaded
engaged in clean
noble contention
fierce beauty
in ballet of battles
adhering to principles
laid down by wisdom
of ancient democracy
ideals of honor integrity
fairness and fortitude
splendid bold lessons
from striven arenas
that carry from youth
to maturity lessons
that translate to life
oh the prize of the laurel
to decorate long
well-lived days
lasting symbol
of virtue defining
the best of us
“Crucible” by Robert Pope
baked in resolute heat
courage pours from a crucible
precious mettle
“Holy War” by Nancy Merkle
battlefields bathed
in that awful red mist
tragic essence of
lost generations
indelible sacrifice
fouling the landscapes
of history duty-bound
blood oaths incurred
of their ultimate price
unforgettable youth
given unto the crucible
flesh and bone tested
for depth of conviction
for purity tending the
ancient-held principles
turned to the terrible
powder and smoke of
the bullets and bombs
raising visceral fears to
the stature of bravery
medals and crosses and
flags the mean trappings
of gratitude left upon
battlefields bathed
in that awful red mist
“American Civil War” by Zeana Romanovna
what possessed men
to stoically stand
against volleys of hellfire
three-pounder gallopers
six-pounder mortar shells
musket balls filling the air
tearing holes in dun deerskin
and homespun clad hearts
ripping red coated limbs
from their disciplined torsos
contention of manifest empire
versus incipient rage for
a raw unequivocal liberty
what possessed men
to stubbornly stand
against volleys of hellfire
howitzers smooth-bore napoleons
carriage wheeled long rifled cannon
dread minié balls filling the air
ranks of blue and gray infantry
shoulder to shoulder
advanced face to face across
killing fields run red with blood
contention of union preserved
without slavery versus a flawed
ingrained moral tradition
what possessed men
to sacrifice body and breath
in the name of intangible
principle even when
not always well understood
a mistake would be made
to judge warriors lightly
compelled as they were
by believing in something
defending of something
transcendent of self
common men raised by death
to uncommon nobility
“After the Storm” by Holly Anderson
ramshackle lives
knocked about
in the storm
grasp for ethics
no matter the provenance any
slight handhold
gains expedient
purchase false
principles swarm
helter-skelter
in violent air
immoralities clash
for supremacy
over the winds
that uproot with
ease weightless
tenuous minds
