Where arte thou brave? Memorial Day Poem 2009

America, the land of the free,
But where arte thou brave?
Some still walk among us,
Others sent to an early grave.


They're the ones who answered,
Their nations call to serve.
The ones who protected,
More than we deserve.


They defended our rights,
Yes, every last one,
Even to speak like an idiot,
Or to own a gun.


They kept us safe at night,
And all through the day,
Combating foreign and domestic,
And kept the enemy at bay


They were our sons and daughters,
Who we've raised from birth.
Whose virtue, honor and sacrifice,
Is now lost in the Earth.


They were our brothers and sisters,
Both younger and older,
With out them in our lives,
The world is far colder.


They were our husbands and wives,
Sent to fight in the war,
Whose love and compassion,
Will be felt no more.


They were our fathers and mothers,
Who wanted to protect,
Their children and loved ones,
So pay your respects.


Pay your respects,
To the ones who were lost,
Our freedom came with price,
Their lives were the cost.

I wrote this to honor my fallen comrades both past and present. May they rest in peace.
Respectfully,
Cpl Craig, USMC 2001-2005
Dreadspydr 5-22-09

This was written by a friend of mine over on Newsvine. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Have You Thanked Someone Today?

This Red Lion Amaryllis was given to me for Christmas by my wonder giving Sister. She is one that deserves a whole lot of Thanks and Appreciation for all the wonderful things she does for me.

Thank you LLR I love you!

All too often we mean to but forget.

Or we put it off until it's too late.

But it's important to express our thanks to others for what ever they do for us or for others.

I am just as guilty of this as anyone, so to remedy that I'm going to take this opportunity to say Thank You to all my wonderful friends here and in my personal life for all you do.

You are super special to me and I'm very glad I know you.

I found a bunch of really good quotes regarding appreciation, I hope they speak to you as much as they did me.

Voltaire: Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.

Albert Schweitzer: At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Correction does much, but encouragement does more. Encouragement after censure is as the sun after a shower.

Henry Clay: Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the gratefully and appreciating heart.

Anonymous: Encouraged people achieve the best; dominated people achieve second best; neglected people achieve the least.


William Arthur: Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I may not forget you.

Cicero: Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.

The Dalai Lama: The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.

Ovid: The spirited horse, which will try to win the race of its own accord, will run even faster if encouraged.

Ralph H. Blum: There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy.

Mother Teresa: There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread.

Orison Swett Marden: There is no investment you can make which will pay you so well as the effort to scatter sunshine and good cheer through your establishment.

Billy Martin: There's nothing greater in the world than when somebody on the team does something good, and everybody gathers around to pat him on the back.

Elizabeth Harrison: Those who are lifting the world upward and onward are those who encourage more than criticize.