A HERITAGE FORGOTTEN

A HERITAGE FORGOTTEN

Climbing in the branches of my family tree,
this thought has recently occurred to me,
that times have changed and we've forgotten
the ancestors who sailed across the sea.

A great heritage, for they were brave men
and women who came to make a new life
in the wilderness of a land so far away,
to escape the hardships and the strife.

From Ireland, England and Scotland too,
Wales and France were discovered there.
I searched for connections, sifting through
old letters and papers with much care.

On a sea of storms they endured it all,
built their homes in rugged wild terrain.
They struggled to survive against the odds,
through sickness, attacks, cold and rain.

Old grave markers and memorials stand
all over our country as they traveled on.
Through it all for freedom they fought,
how can it be that their spirit is gone?

We have forgotten what it means to be
alive today in the land they settled here.
We've forgotten how to work and strive
to make our lives better, it seems clear.

A heritage forgotten, we need to look back.
Stand up with courage and face our days
with determination and faith held strong,
we can honor our heritage in many ways.

Have love for our country and keep it free!
Our ancestors looked for peace and hope;
without it how could they ever have had
the strength to endure, the will to cope?

Do not forget their sacrifice and pain.
Honor them for all that they have done
to make a better place on a history page,
for the battles lost and the battles won.

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6/23/07