On This Memorial Day

It is right to honor singular or multiple acts of bravery
Within or without war
Having the courage to do what is right pushes us all
To become more than we are
Let us honor courage.

It also takes courage to stand up for our values
To honor the foundation of our right to exist
And to live in peace with each other
Let us not forget our values.

Life is hard enough without the residue of poverty
Such as drugs, crime, slavery and despair
We dare not look the other way
In the face of squalor
Let us learn how to expunge it.

We all enter this world with pre-existing conditions
Some are obvious others are not
We dare not seek refuge from others
By denying them the chance at life
Let us honor life for all.

Our resources are limited but our wants are not
So there is always the need to give
Every time we choose to take
Let us learn how to share.

Above all before our name is chiseled in stone
And we are laid to rest
May we not raise that monument too high
If we have failed to win some small victory
For humanity.