Let Freedom Ring

My country tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died!
Land of the Pilgrim's pride!
From every mountain side,
Let freedom ring!

Note: Written by Samuel Francis Smith

Freedom.. a tough swallow.

Today I thank the men and women in every armed service. Today I’m singing ‘let freedom ring’ because my blog, as you can see, has gone through a metamorphosis. It has changed to fit me. It stands as a symbol of MY freedom to write and say what I want on my blog in thoughts or poems.

The blog started off as One Voice ~ Write Right, but ringing in my ears were so many voices pointing out to me over the years that I not only couldn’t write right, my voice was losing it’s steam. An errant apostrophe here and there, a typo or misspelled word, it all got to me in a big way; big enough to scrap the whole idea of Write Right and sing what my heart truly plays and that is the melody of words that a poem lends me.

Poetry has carried me through many hardships, weathered many raging seas in my life and has comforted my spirit on too numerous occasions. I read poetry, write poetry, dissect poetry, learn new things about poetry and will let poetry cradle me on my deathbed.

I have checked all the ‘What Writers need’ links, and they seem to be working fine. I will keep them in place for the writer seeking tools to learn the craft and as soon as my gadget allows me to add sites again, I will. I will be learning right along side you, since my weakness has been pointed out and I seek to remedy the situation.

When I look back over my blog archives, the posts with the most hits are my poetry and life tidbits I throw in. The ‘how-to’ of writing posts seem to be the least posts that people come in here and read. That’s another reason for the change.

This was my very intention when I began this blog, thus the reason for the URL jonismuse, but the name Write Right was a phase that I was going through while mentoring. I am no longer a mentor, I no longer do NaNo because I can write every day without boasting WHAT or HOW MANY WORDS I wrote, and feel the FREEDOM ringing in my ears!

The service men like my father, uncles, and brothers whom all served in an armed service to allow me the freedom to write, speak and say what I want. I thank them all.

While I sit here today knowing that travel to other countries that are not as FREE as our country, might hold a darkened path, I am safe in the comfort of my home. While our government often lets the soldiers down, it is we the people, who lift them up in praise for their selfless service.

I am not at ease with the world and where it is heading but one thing that stands erect and tall is every soldier whether in life or death, they deserve to be honored!

If you served, I thank you! If you’re reading this, I thank you, for allowing me to change and grow. Peace be with you all!

Let freedom ring.

Poetry Sunday ~ All Good Men by Adam Zipp

Pic of Fort McHenry

“All Good Men”

©Adam Zipp

The gunpowder and smoke,

the sounds of a roaring hell,

that is where the glory is shed,

along with the blood stained rivers,

the sick lay wounded in their beds.

Turn away from the pain,

let the night sky fall down like rain,

it is said that good men die young,

but good men stand up to be strong.

Good men fight,

They play the songs of the war bands,

they guide us all with an unseen light,

and always take our hands.

Liberty lives within strong men,

even when evil lashes out like a roaring fire,

the darkness will seep out from the Lion’s Den,

If good men do not aspire.

They never fought alone,

One good man can win a battle,

but when grouped with many men,

together a war can be won.

The men who fought,

they are strong and wise,

they have been through the pits of hell,

always risking their lives.

In the cold months ahead,

in the long warmth of the dead,

may we give thanks to those living and gone,

for everything they have done,

let us thank a vet.

 

 

Memorial Day

I would say God Bless America...but I think He already has. ~joni zipp

I sometimes think that the saving grace of America lies in the fact that the overwhelming majority of Americans are possessed of two great qualities- a sense of humor and a sense of proportion.
~Franklin D.Roosevelt (1882 - 1945)

The character inherent in the American people has done all that has been accomplished; and it would have done somewhat more, if the government had not sometimes got in its way.
~Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862)

Ninety-eight percent of the adults in this country are decent, hard-working, honest Americans. It's the other lousy two percent that get all the publicity. But then--we elected them.
~Lily Tomlin  (1939 - )

An Englishman is a person who does things because they have been done before. An American is a person who does things because they haven't been done before.
~Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)

America's greatest strength, and its greatest weakness, is our belief in second chances, our belief that we can always start over, that things can be made better.
~Anthony Walton

America is the greatest, freest and most decent society in existence. It is an oasis of goodness in a desert of cynicism and barbarism. This country, once an experiment unique in the world, is now the last best hope for the world.
~Dinesh Souza

There is nothing wrong with America that the faith, love of freedom, intelligence and energy of her citizens cannot cure.
~Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890 - 1969)

I always consider the settlement of America with reverence and wonder, as the opening of a grand scene and design in providence, for the illumination of the ignorant and the emancipation of the slavish part of mankind all over the earth.
~John Adams (1735 - 1826)

I see America, not in the setting sun of a black night of despair ahead of us, I see America in the crimson light of a rising sun fresh from the burning, creative hand of God. I see great days ahead, great days possible to men and women of will and vision.
~Carl Sandburg(1878 - 1967)

May you all have a safe Memorial Day Weekend. Thank you Veterans for serving and protecting my country, because of you...I can have a safe holiday. God Bless you all!