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Almost forty-three hundred killed
Since we invaded in two thousand three
Thirty two thousand plus, wounded
But maybe, with an end in sight, to see.

There’s so many hurting families
Whose lives have changed forever more
Sons and Daughters who lost Parents
To the cruel, ravages of war.

Since our Country was founded
One and one quarter million lost
In all of those many battles fought
It’s sad, what our Freedom has cost.

We have this one day to Honor them
All of those Heroes who gave their all
Who rallied ’round our Countries Flag
As they answered, our Nations call.

War has always been the human way
(You would think we had more sense)
Sometimes used for man’s aggression
And sometimes used for his defense.

If we ever hope to have a future
On this small planet where we live
We must all learn to live together
And find more compassion to give.

We build those monuments to war
And for all of those who died
Someday, we could build some for Peace
If we, really, truly tried.

But, looks like there’s not much hope
Unless we change our minds and ways 
And we’ll always mourn more lost
On too many, Memorial Days.

Del “Abe” Jones
05.20.2009

Older pieces

Another Memorial Day

Taps play mournfully o’er the grave
Loved ones bow their heads and weep
The Flag folded, casket lowered down
And the Hero, laid to endless sleep.

This scene played out too many times
With all the sadness and the pain
As War torn hearts ache with the loss
It happens, time and time again.

All people should attend a Service
To see the Honor Guard in dress attire
To hear the bugler play that sad tune
And to be startled, when the rifles fire.

A small tribute to those who gave all
The true Patriots of our great Land
To face the horrors of the battlefield
Where sometimes, Freedom makes its stand.

War seems to be the only way, we humans
Know, to change what we don’t like
It seems; peaceful times are short lived
Before there’s another military strike.

The military/industrial complex wins
No matter, if war is won or lost
And the New World Order thirst for power
Uncaring, what their selfish goals may cost.

Maybe one day, we can live together
And learn to respect those different ways
Before we destroy ourselves and Earth
And end the terrible price the Soldier pays.

But until that day finally comes, if ever
And our Brave, no longer have to die
We must Honor their ultimate sacrifice
Even as we wait and ponder, “Why?”

And instead of just a day off work
To enjoy the pleasures of our Country
Just remember what this day is for
To Honor those who gave all, for you and me.

Del “Abe” Jones
5.20.2008

Memorial Day, 2007

Another sad Memorial Day
To Honor all of those lost
As we tally up another year
Of all, that this War has cost.

Nearly thirty-five hundred Families
To mourn the death of a loved one
How many more must we add
Before this War is finally done?

Let’s not forget all those wounded
More than twenty-five thousand strong 
Though this day is for the Dead
To Honor these too, can’t be wrong.

First observed in Eighteen sixty-eight
And the “list”, continues to grow 
As real Peace seems so elusive
Something, we’ll probably never know.

It’s not in the Human psyche
To get along, with one another
It seems that all we know to do
Is just one War after another.

So, this day we Honor those Heroes
-Who marched off to War to die
Sometimes for a noble cause
And some, those times when some ask, “Why!”

But, one thing we can always count on
There’s always those Heroes-to-be
Who step up, Sacrifice their lives
So that other people, might be Free.

Del “Abe” Jones
5.22.2007

Heroes, Every One!
Memorial Day, 2006

More than we should care to count
With more added every day
The death toll from this hapless War
Is far too high, a price to pay.

We were convinced by false words
From those in whom we put our trust
Were told for the safety of our Country
That invading Iraq was a must.

But our Nation seems no safer
And many feel that things are worse
As we lose more friends around the World
And become a Land to hate and curse.

Our Troops are the bright shining light
Who will go there and risk their all
Each of them, a true life Hero
Men and Women, standing proud and tall.

Most all of them are only kids
The way Wars always seem to be
The young are sent to fight and die
For the sake of Democracy.

But, as the body count keeps growing
And the real truth becomes more clear
People and Troops are finally asking
“What are we really doing here?”

The Taliban are coming back
And Osama still has his plan
We should have finished what we started
When we went to Afghanistan.

But we diverted our attention
And caused another breeding place
For all kinds of terrorists and nuts
The scourges of the Human Race.

Maybe sanity will soon prevail
And let us hope it’s not too late
To end this and bring Troops Home
Before they know that deadly fate.

For, no matter how each of us feel
About the politics of this War
We’ve sacrificed enough Americans
For the answer to, “What for?”

Let’s bring them back and Honor them
And not forget when War is done
Treat all our Veterans as we should
As our Heroes, each and every one.

And there’s not enough praise
To give all those who gave their life
And all those wounded and maimed
Left with the pain of Wartime’s strife.

Del “Abe” Jones
5-24-2006 

A National Moment

of Remembrance

On Memorial Day

That poem about where “poppies blow”
And, “the crosses, row on row”
Still rings true, these ninety years
After written, still brings tears.

We still have Dead, “amid the guns”
And lose our young and our loved ones
Those who lived, “short days ago”
Who, “felt dawn, saw sunset glow”.

In Flanders Fields, “the poppy red”
Still grow near where the blood was bled
They, “Take up our quarrel with the foe”
And still die for Freedoms that we know.

They pass, “The torch” to, “hold it high”
And not, “break the faith with us who die”
For they, “shall not sleep, though poppies grow”
Beneath all those, “crosses, row on row”
In Flanders Fields.

Del “Abe” Jones

Memorial Day

A time for picnics, time off work  
Vacations and the “Indy”  
A holiday, too often times
We forget what, it should be.

A time to pay respect to those
Who rallied to the battle cry  
Who gave their lives for liberty  
Those freedoms for you and I.

Such a waste of brave young souls  
Some still struggling through their youth
Who faced and fell willingly
Before wartime’s awful truth.

So as we share this holiday
With our friends or family  
Take a moment to give thanks to
Those who died so we’d stay free.

Let us strive for world peace  
For the end of greed and hate  
For next time, after “the war”
It surely, just could be too late.

Del “Abe” Jones

Freedoms’ Memorial

This day is set aside
to honor those
who took the chance to die.

But they have died in vain
if we ever forget
the reason why.

Freedom can be like time
slipping away
before we even know.

But we all have the choice
more, a duty
to battle freedoms’ foe.

Let us give thanks this day
to all those brave
who paid the highest cost.

Not take it for granted
and realize
it easily could be lost.

Del “Abe” Jones

Memorial Day 

We’ve Troops around the World
Who put, their Life on the line
And sometimes give their All
For, Freedoms of yours and mine.

But now, it seems much different
We ask them, in another’s name
To Protect their Freedoms, too
And Sacrifice, like it’s the same.

But, you can’t give Freedom away
It’s something, you must embrace
And it may not always work
In, each and every time and place.

We can’t change centuries of life
And ask our Troops to lead the way
To place their lives in jeopardy
Just because, the Politicians say.

But now, that we are in this mess
It must be seen through to the end
And a Prayer said, for those who die
Amongst those brave souls, we send.

It’s so sad at this year’s Tribute
We must add, all those Names we do
With the hope, that someday
All these Wars will be through.

Del “Abe” Jones 

Only Numbers?
(for Veteran’s Day but works here, too)

Two hundred, twenty-eight years
That, we have been going to war
Eleven times we said, “For freedom!”
Was, what we were fighting for.

We’ve spent two, point, six trillion plus
But that was just a petty cost
Compared to all of the spent lives
Of those loved ones, who were lost.

Thirty-two hundred plus, a month
For more than thirty-six years
The total time fighting our enemies
And more time, shedding our tears.

One and one quarter million dead
That’s more than fifteen every day
Since we went to war, “For freedom!”
In our Revolutionary way.

One and one half million wounded
For this Country of the Free
Although some of these losses
Were the Union’s and Confederacy.

But, all of them are Veterans
Who fought for what they believed
In their own way, doing battle
For those Freedoms, they perceived.

As of late, a Veteran’s definition
Has come from a different kind of War
For which we all, are conscripted 
To help guard, our Freedom’s door. 

Let’s Honor, each and every one
And though we may not know each name
They were so much more than numbers
In every Wartime’s deadly “game”.

And, each November eleventh 
In the years, that come to be
Let’s hope someday, all People
Live in a land, where they are Free.

Let’s make Veteran’s Day a memory
And a part of days gone past
Learn to live with our Fellowman
In a Free World at Peace, at last.

Del “Abe” Jones

Let’s Build The US Peace Memorial

We have memorials for heroes
Who have fought in wars and died
For great generals and others
To express our nations pride.

From the American Revolution
Until the wars we fight today
Where we honor those people
For, the ultimate price, they pay.

We have statues of politicians
And the leaders of our land
Monuments for almost everything
Some small, some huge and grand.

They are made of stone – cast in bronze
Carved in mountainsides and wood
Some are fanciful, some somber
As we celebrate all those, we should.

But, if you just think about it
And if you search, everywhere
You will see that one is missing
And sadly, so many don’t seem to care.

Where do we credit all those folks
Who stand for peace and good will
Who speak out against those wars
That maim, destroy and kill?

Some will say, “It’s unpatriotic!”
To try to find a different course
To resolve the worlds conflict
With sane and rational discourse.

“They don’t support the troops!”
“They want to give up and surrender!”
“They don’t want to fight for freedom!”
“It’s just passive words, they tender!?

That could not be further from the truth
It’s because, they, honestly do care
What’s wrong with peaceful resolution
Especially, when it is just and fair?

Let us all honor those peacekeepers
Who would strive to find a better way
To resolve the worlds differences
And end, the terrible price we all pay.

They deserve their own monument
For their valiant fight against all war
Striving for world peace and freedom
Isn’t that, what America stands for?

So, let’s build the US Peace Memorial
For people of the world to come and see
The people of our nation, long for peace
Across every land, where all live free.