We Did Not Die For This!
by Craig Pugh
“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Abraham Lincoln, 1858. Matt caught a bullet in his throat while a mortar shell blew Mike and Jim and Joe to smithereens inside the boat. I was shot in the eye and couldn’t see Dick and Jim trying to stuff their guts back in along the bloody beach that day at Normandy. Scared stiff, we nonetheless charged out into the face of death, fought our way to the tree of liberty and bled out on it. Kids, none of us over 20. Gave our lives so that you reading this could live free. So the dust of our bones was greatly disturbed in the hallowed ground where we’re interred in the American cemetery at Luxembourg when we heard news of traitors running loose in the halls of our people’s house in Congress. We all rose up and cried: We did not die for this! For a rabid mob to smash the doors and loot. To attempt to shoot the Speaker of the House and hang the vice president of the United States. To watch a capitol policeman dragged down steps and beaten to death by so-called patriots? No sir! We didn’t sacrifice our lives on freedom’s altar so that could occur. The very notion is absurd. We died to keep you and your descendants free. That’s why as for that mess on January sixth in Washington, D.C. we fallen sons of liberty rise up and in our loudest voices cry: We did not die for this!
Comments (2)
First off I would like to say excellent blog!
I had a quick question in which I’d like to ask if you don’t mind.
I was curious to know how you center yourself and clear your
thoughts before writing. I’ve had a difficult time clearing my thoughts in getting my thoughts out.
I do enjoy writing however it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are usually wasted just
trying to figure out how to begin. Any ideas or hints?
Many thanks!
Ok I’m back. I’ve been thinking about my best answer for you, and it would go like this: I usually get a title or a line I like or an idea and I see how it would fit into a poem. But this scrap is only a clue to the mystery of the larger work: the outline of the poem. So when I sit down to write, my pen is busy quick on the page because it’s helping me solve the riddle of the poem, which, when I figure it out, I will be done. So I think poets do word puzzles.
That being said, there’s plenty of books out there say if 15 minutes is what it takes to get your writing engine started, go ahead and drop the time.
Let me circle back and ask you what motivates you to your writing table? You must start with an idea, right?
Good luck!