Beautiful People

By Alia McFarlin, grade 9

There's this father,

Happily married for ten sweet years

The father of two young children.

There's this son,

Just out of high school

The only child of his parents.

There's this sister,

Who's got a heart of gold

And she never misses a birthday.

There's this undle,

He knows practically everything about sports

And spoils his nieces and nephews.

There's this cousin,

The fun one in the family

Whom you can hang out with at family reunions.

There's this friend,

The one with all the answers

Who can help you through any situation.

And what do they all have in common?

They all made one brave decision one day

They decided to protect their parents

And cousins and children

And siblings and nephews

And nieces and friends.

And that is what makes them beautiful.

We Will Remember

By Caitlin Schille, grade 8

We remember

The war to end all wars

Rat-infested trenches

The glorious music of Armistice.

We remember

A day which will live on in infamy

The brutal, horrifying battles

The happy homecoming.

We remember

The tense, terrifying jungles of Vietnam

The hateful riots

The bittersweet end.

We know

Of the tyrannical protests

The violent rebels

The tearful, joyous returns.

We will remember.

Thanks

By Cassi Cain, grade 9

I have not met you before

But I feel as though I know you well.

You fought and died for our country.

You never looked back on what you had lost.

You kept on going, never coming to a halt.

You fought for me, for him, for her, and for them.

All of us are free because of what you did.

I cannot thank you enough for what has become of this.

You were hurt, lonely, and killed for me.

This makes me feel greedy,

For I am here and you are not

I am enjoying the freedom that you gave to me,

But you will not be here to share it.

I am sitting in my warm home,

As you were out fighting to your death.

This isn't a holiday of joy,

But of thanking you for what you have done for me and my country

You gave me freedom to roam from sea to shining sea.

This brings a smile to my face.

But will you ever know how much you are appreciated?

I will tell you now.

As I go on in life, I will think of you daily

Always fighting and working

For my freedom

Thank you.

On Hill Top High

By Hayley Oberbillig, grade 8

I stand in the cemetery on hill top high,

Here lie the men and women who fought with honor and died with pride

Stars and Stripes above them fly

A fearless soldier each one who stared death in the eyes

These true superheroes of our day

Fought and died for the land of the free and the home of the brave

Beneath my feet they lay, but in my heart they will forever be

For without these veterans I could not be free

And that is why our flags fly high

For all of those who served and died

I thank you veterans for your protection and lives

You've given me freedom as I stand here on hill top high

Our Unsung Heroes

By Janae Butterfield, grade 8

Left behind with anxiety and worry,

To fight their own fights

To struggle through each day

To explain to children why their parents have gone away,

That's the song of our unsung heroes

Knowing they may never see their loved ones again,

They hold their heads up high, proud to say

Their husbands, wives, daughters, sons, have

Gone to serve, to fight and protect

To lay their lives on the line for us

That's the song of our unsung heroes

Joyous reunions fill hearts with pure joy

Moments together are held sacred and treasured

Parting that cause enough pain to shatter hears in two

Never knowing if they will ever see their loved ones again

That's the song of our unsung heroes

Facing uncertainty day by day

Battling hardships of their own, whild

Dreaming of more carefree days

Facing the possibility their loved ones may be

Kidnapped by war

That's the song of our unsung heroes

He Can Stand Tall

By Rafael Molinari, grade 9

A boy of eighteen stepped up to the desk

It was not ordinary, it was not like the rest

It came with a sign, and a soldier behind

Your country needs you enlist today

He gave them his word, and he gave them his sign.

Off he went to a world far away

One filled with danger, death, every step of the way

It is sad a boy leaving home.

Your country needs you even when you feel alone

He's not a boy anymore, not like before

He is a man who stepped up to the call

The Pacific, Korea , and Viet Nam

He is my grandfather, he can stand tall