Fireworks

July 6, 2003

I wrote this poem shortly after Independence Day 2003. Watching the fireworks made me think of jewels falling from the sky, celebrating our nation's rich history.

Majestic explosions in the air
Cascading jewels descend and disappear
Sapphire, diamond, ruby,
Topaz, emerald, gold

Sparkling sapphire descends from on high
The color of the ocean
Columbus' passage to the Indies
The Pilgrims' highway to the New World

Diamonds glitter in the air
Like the glitter of the snow in the New World
The bitter cold of Plymouth and Valley Forge
The glistening stars that the explorers followed

Rubies fill the air with crimson
The blood of our fathers
Blood shed for the freedom we hold dear
The heroes of our nation that have given their lives

Topaz sparkles in the sky
The parchment for our nation's great documents
The Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence
The great Constitution and Bill of Rights

Emeralds shimmer
The hills and fields between the oceans
The treks of the great explorers
Lewis, Clark, De Soto, La Salle

Gold shines bright
Rushes to California and Alaska
Glittering stones in the rivers and mines
The promise of fortune

The emerald Lady in the harbor
Welcomes immigrants from around the world
Sapphire, diamond, ruby, emerald, topaz, gold
The diversity of those who are now Americans

Ruby, diamond and sapphire sparkles explode on high
The colors of our great flag
May the stars and stripes of ruby, diamond and sapphire fly for many years
And may God bless America!