furls

FURLS


FURLS IN AND FURLS OUT, BANNERS WAVING ALL ABOUT
YOUNG MEN MARCHING TO CADENCE COUNT
FOR THEM, VICTORY, THERE IS NO DOUBT
SOON THEY’LL BE OFF TO FIGHT IN SOME TERRIBLE PLACE
GOING TO MEET AN ENEMY FACE TO FACE
SOME WILL BECOME HEROES, OTHERS NOT
BUT IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE, NOT ONE WILL BE FORGOT


I SEE A BANNER NOT FLYING HIGH,
BUT OVER A BOX IT DOES LIE
I HEAR THE SEVEN FIRED THRICE INTO THE HEAVEN
AND I KNOW THE TWENTY-ONE HAS BEEN GIVEN
TAP-TAP-TAP OF STICK ON DRUM
THE DRUMMERS ROLL HAS BEGUN
THEN LIKE A CHERUBS FORLONGED SONG,
THE BUGLER BLOWS TAPS SLOW AND LONG

WHITE GLOVED HANDS, THE FLAG THEY HOLD
ONCE, TWICE, THE FLAG THEY FOLD
NOW CORNER RIGHT, THEN CORNER LEFT, THUS AND THUS
TILL ALL THE STRIPES ARE OUT OF SIGHT
NOW BURY THEM UNDER THE FIELD OF BLUE,
SO ONLY THE FIFTY SHINE THRU

NOW WHITE GLOVED HANDS GIVE IT TO A MOTHER OR WIFE
FOR THIS FLAG A LOVED ONE GAVE THEIR LIFE
WHITE GLOVED FINGERS RAISED SLOWLY TO THE BROW
THEN LOWERED SLOWLY, BACK TO ATTENTION NOW
LEFT FACE,TWO STEPS IN LINE, LEFT AGAIN AND ONE STEP FINE
NOW THE HONOR GUARD IS BACK IN LINE
LEFT SIDE FACE LEFT, RIGHT SIDE RIGHT,
OFF THEY MARCH TO ANOTHER SITE

I SEE THE WOMAN HOLDING THE FLAG TIGHTLY TO HER
BREAST,WEEPING, WANTING HER LOVED BACK IN NEST

I, WITH SADDENED HEART AND TEARS I VENT,
I WONDER WHERE THE FURLS WENT,
THEN I REALIZE WHERE THEIR AT
THEY ARE THERE________ THERE JUST LAYING FLAT



A POEM BY JERRY BROWN
PRAISE THE LORD FOR THESE
BEAUTIFUL WORDS