Legacies in another harbor, a new poem

Legacies in another harbor

by mike marcellino


An American salute -
hope she’s right.
Her flag born
over a fort, guarding
Fell’s Point.
Legacies in another harbor,
Then Baltimore.
Lanterns on the road, headlights down the highway.

An American salute -
Centuries after
The Revolution,
almost forgot.
Still, leftover in real ages,
finding
virtually reality
picturing
her waving, flapping
flying over Key’s song spot.

An American salute -
born
in the blood of our brothers,
sweat,
tears, fears
years an’ years.
Soldiers fighting
to get back home,
suddenly unfriendly, unfamiliar.
Kiss their sweethearts.
Salute Old Glory,
the nation they knew -
The one they lived for
loved for, died for.

An American salute -
Across rivers, time
worn, forgot.
near frozen
worker army
almost forgot
across the Delaware
River,
with a founding father at the helm.

An American salute -
To a plain, anguished
man in rough spun cover.
Saving a union in chaos, carnage.
Freeing the slaves.
Remember Abe,
a great paperback writer
picked folks out of oppression
from a culture,
Southern.
States not possessed.

An American salute -
Not her uniforms.
Not our flag.
Our Revolution,
almost forgot.
Our Constitution.
almost forgot.
Our bills of rights
almost forgot
intended not just for men,
but for women, even children.
Our bills of rights
drawn by rich
land an’ property owners.

The poor,
almost forgot.

An American salute -
On wings of dreams.
On freedom’s rings.
On,
Remember
The Revolution
almost forgot.

Remember
The Revolutionary men
Their dust
Lying
in graves unknown.
Martyrs born in
The Revolution
All
but forgotten.
Abe, Martin, Bobby and John,

An American salute -
Legacies in another harbor,
Now Boston.
Lanterns on the road, headlights down the highway.

An American salute - Legacies in another harbor by mike marcellino copyright 2009