Earl K. Carson

WHAT SO PROUDLY THEY BURNED

An eerie vision came to me, in dreams, the other night,
Of wartime dead who lost their lives in some distressing fight;
Their anguished faces showed concern, and mirrored inner fright.

They bore deep scars from every war, where our Stars and Stripes once flew,
They died from wounds at Bunker Hill, and Iwo Jima too;
Korea’s frozen dead appeared, along with Vietnam’s crew.

In hollow, death-like tones one spoke: “We have a tale to tell,
On battlefields across the world, we served Old Glory well;
That flag now flies above the graves where we, the dead, now dwell.”

“We chose to fight for liberty, but treason reared its head,
An evil generation rose, and we can’t rest,” he said;
“They burn our nation’s sacred flag, for which much blood was shed.”

“While you remained so safe at home, we paid our country’s dues,
We trusted you to guard that flag, and thought you’d never choose;
To tolerate those evil ones, who would our flag abuse.”

“GIs would face a firing squad, if the flag they should betray,
But sixties rebels didn’t care. They chose the traitor’s way;
The devil has a special place reserved for them some day.”

“In mocking this, our Stars and Stripes, flag-burners show their hue,
They waved the flag of North Vietnam and that of Russia too;
And you did nothing to resist. What must we think of you?”

“How shameful your inactions. Your responses weak and lame,
How can you make excuses for foul acts, so insane?
How can you answer we who died, who fought your wars in vain?”

Those patriots all have passed away, and as in death they fell,
Succeeding generations condemned this land to hell;
They chose the side of leftist slime, and commies wished them well.

The vision of those wartime dead soon vanished in the air,
But left behind a message clear, of anger, and despair;
For Satan’s spawn still burns the flag, and people still don’t care.