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Blogs by Patricia A. Oplinger
Freedom
7/3/2010 7:02:19 AM
Freedom isn't Fourth of July.
Freedom isn't Fourth of July,
it's fireworks;
not war,
it's battles
Struggles and confusions
losses and gains
strangers and newness
advancing and retreating
photographs and memories
Self-reliance isn't landings,
missions and doctrines;
it's philosophy, long-held beliefs,
influence and guidance,
daily routines
Not control, but compassion,
loyalty and support,
probability and outcome
Not ordinance, but ordinary
winning and losing
The wounded move
on walkers and canes
Then martyrs, now heroes,
Then defeated, now victorious
Inevitably, some prisoners
Pride, though little pomp and circumstance
smiles
tears
joy
depression
Careful shuffling has replaced
lightning-like strikes
Casualties, death and dying remain
as do sense and nonsense
Time was when battle scars healed
Sequence was infliction . . .attention . . .restoration
no more
Today's battles on the field of life mean
infliction . . .attention . . .deterioration
Unwelcome short circuits are frequent,
whimsical choices supercede
rapid-fire decisions
They wear nonmilitary uniforms
Crisp stars, bars and stripes replaced
by scars, snipes, and gripes
Military bearing in this place is disguised
as stooped shoulders, rounded bellies
Yet, self-esteem and pride
are alive in the faces of these old foot soldiers;
their voices are filled with determination
and muttered prayers
Male and female alike, they attack
with eyes focused on the enemy--
time
Sounds of today's skirmishes diminish
Night falls over the encampment
Familiar sighs, sudden sleep,
restful breathing
Darkness silences fears and frustrations
Dreams offer scenes of past glories
One small victory over assisted living, nursing care
Quietness on this new front is achieved
at least for a few hours . . .
until dawn.
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More Blogs by Patricia A. Oplinger
• Letter to Rob Lamm - Tuesday, April 23, 2013
• Writers' Retreat - Tuesday, March 19, 2013
• Love is in the Air via an Acrostic Poem - Monday, February 04, 2013
• Jackpot - Wednesday, January 23, 2013
• Facing Up to Blanks - Friday, October 19, 2012
• Writing is a Powerful Search Mechanism - Thursday, August 02, 2012
• . . . and there is a hippopotamus in me . . . - Tuesday, July 17, 2012
• The Eagle in Me - Sunday, June 10, 2012
• Catchup! - Tuesday, May 01, 2012
• Mea Culpa! - Thursday, April 12, 2012
• Splendiferous - Wednesday, October 26, 2011
• The Rose and the Thorn - Saturday, September 24, 2011
• Some Folks Are Wise and Some Are Otherwise - Tuesday, August 09, 2011
• Hidden Seed - Saturday, July 16, 2011
• IF ONLY - Saturday, April 23, 2011
• The Boat - Friday, March 04, 2011
• UH-OH - Thursday, March 03, 2011
• Writing Poetry - Tuesday, March 01, 2011
• Sense of Humor - Friday, February 25, 2011
• The Only Thing - Thursday, February 10, 2011
• Being wise - Saturday, January 29, 2011
• What I Mean - Friday, January 28, 2011
• Playhouse CD Debut a Success - Thursday, January 13, 2011
• Contact! - Thursday, January 13, 2011
• Hiding in the Playhouse of My Mind - Tuesday, November 30, 2010
• Being Wise - Thursday, October 28, 2010
• Listening Between the Lines - Friday, October 15, 2010
• Try Opening Your Life - Wednesday, October 06, 2010
• Love Gives Itself - Friday, October 01, 2010
• Sunshine in NJ - Thursday, September 23, 2010
• Smooth Handle - Friday, September 10, 2010
• Planning - Monday, August 16, 2010
• Three Words - Friday, August 13, 2010
• Take it easy -- but take it - Tuesday, August 10, 2010
• Newly Found Relative - Monday, August 09, 2010
• Try it. You'll like it. - Tuesday, August 03, 2010
• Out on a limb - Thursday, July 22, 2010
• Answers and Questions - Tuesday, July 13, 2010
• Freedom - Saturday, July 03, 2010
• A JUG - Thursday, July 01, 2010
• Body Helps Brain - Tuesday, June 15, 2010
• 66th Annual Writers' Conference - Sunday, June 13, 2010
• Boots on the Ground! - Tuesday, June 01, 2010
• Life in and Out of Balance - Saturday, May 29, 2010
• Publication Notice - Wednesday, February 24, 2010
• Light Verse - Tuesday, January 26, 2010
• Echoes of the Ozarks Volume V - Monday, January 25, 2010
• Biennial Competition 2010 - Thursday, January 21, 2010
• Persistent Pilferer - Wednesday, December 30, 2009
• Izard County Friends of the Library Signing - Wednesday, November 18, 2009
• Life on a Seesaw Succeeds - Wednesday, November 18, 2009
• Premiere Day! - Saturday, November 14, 2009
• Autumn in the Foothills - Wednesday, October 21, 2009
• Invitation to Appear at Authors' Luncheon at Arkansas Writers' Conference - Tuesday, September 22, 2009
• Life on a Seesaw - Monday, August 03, 2009
• At Work - Saturday, July 04, 2009
• Conference Day - Monday, May 04, 2009
• - Monday, January 01, 1900
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