Memorial Day
Remembering those who paid the price
To heed their country’s call
Thus sparing us the tyrants heel
Did gladly give their all.
As long as God shall let me live
These knees shall never bow
To any power on this earth
Who’d force from me a vow
And dare to try to take from me
This freedom I have now.
Tis better far that I should die
And rot beneath the sod
Than raises these knarled old hands of mine
To anyone but God
And try to face myself each day
If victor’s feet should trod.
If victors come and take my flag
And dash it to the ground
And mouths be closed on lesser men
And patriots be bound
Then count your dead on battlefields
For there I shall be found.
Regardless of the price we pay for
Freedom, it’s still the world’s greatest bargain.
William Raymond Waterman, Sr.
thedailylily.com 
Great Sentiment, Bill. Freedom, indeed, is not free! It is bought with the ultimate price; like the freedom purchased for us by the death on the cross of our glorious LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ. He purchased our salvation on Golgatha’s Hill. He is the first fruits of One Who gave His life that others might live. Then He rose from the dead to establish His ’emancipation proclamation’ that all those who die in Christ Jesus will also rise from the dead at the last trumpet call.
Our nation is in need of staunch and loyal patriots at this time. Those who still believe that this nation was established by godly men and women and that it is for FREEDOM that CHRIST has set us free.
Thank you Bill for reminding us on this upcoming memorial day of the sacrificial gift that has been given to us by our fallen military. I am thankful to God and to the men and women and their families who have ensured our freedom.
Thank you Bill for this beautiful poem that encompasses those have served this nation through their personal sacrifice. So many have made that sacrifice to stomp the hand of tyrannts. As one watches the flags go down one foot from each grave site at Arlington National Cemetery you think of each unknown life who paid the ultimate price and lay beneath the ground to crush the opressor of their time. We say thank you to each one.
We also look personally to Jesus who paid the ultimate price as MG said on Golgatha for all people extending freedom. Many may think that freedom is not won by submission to authority of God. What an untruth. In God we have freedom as he has our best interest at heart. Beth Moore says “Only under the umbrella of God’s trustworthy, for-us authority do we find our spacious place. Our place of freedom. Psalms 18: 19 says: He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. Once finding freedom we never want to go back to the opressor. Beth says, “Freedom never come through disobedience.” We stand in obedience to God and thus freedom. We lay our self down and pick up freedom the cross extends to each of us.
Whether you are soldiers who protect this nation and/or soldiers of the cross may you stand decorated and honored this Memorial Day.
When reading this poem Daniel came to mind. He refused to bow his head or knee to anyone other than God. No edict would change his stance. He was thrown into the lions den for his obedience and focus on GOD. Daniel would have rather given his life to the lions than to have forsaken his God. God in turn rescued him from the lions den.
I am extremely appreciative of the nice comments that I receive concerning my poetry. I never fail being inspired and enlightened by the various thoughts each of you express. Thank you and may God richly bless your lives as you continue in your daily walk with the Master. Bill W.
We not only love your appropos poetry (wow, try saying that three times fast) but would like to read your wise observations, views and opinions on the some of our subjects that are featured on thedailylily.org.
We look forward to your poetry AND your prose in the near future.
Thanks Bill, for being a vital part of thedailylily.org.
I would like to pause and let all our soldiers, families and Nation know we are grateful to our soldiers and the price they have and are paying for the freedom of the USA!
Our prayers and thoughts, love and respect are with you as we honor you on this Memorial Day.
Bill,
What a great poem to honor our men, women,(of the armed forces) and their families, for all that they sacrifice, for our freedom. I’d like to thank each one of them, and pray God’ blessings on them.
I really like the song that Toby Keith sings, about the American soldier. The chorus goes like this.
“I’m an American soldier, and American,
Beside my brothers and sisters I will proudly take a stand,
When liberty’s in jeopardy I will always do what’s right,
I’m out here on the front lines, sleep in peace tonight.
American soldier, I’m an American,
An American, an American soldier”