.....The Pledge of Allegiance of the United States is an expression of fealty to the federal flag and the republic of the United States of America, originally composed by Francis Bellamy in 1892 and formally adopted by Congress as the pledge in 1942.^[1] The official name of The Pledge of Allegiance was adopted in 1945. The last change in language came on Flag Day 1954 when the words "under God" were added. 

.....Today I am a critic.  I want to write about how a few people decimated and trashed the musical script that I wrote.  I can do this because the First Amendment says that I can.  I've probably written this in a past post on this blog, but it was awhile ago and it's worth repeating. Well, it's possible that it is not worth repeating, but I'm going to do it anyway. 

"We have all forgot more than we can remember."

 

With Apologies to Ulyssies and my good friend, Lord Tennyson

                                                (Adapted by Baron d'Rossveile)

 

I will drink life to the lees: All times

I have enjoy'd greatly, have suffer'd greatly

Both with those that have lov'd me, and alone.

I am a part of all that I have met;

Yet all experience is an arch where gleams

That untravel'd world.  How dull it is to pause,

To make an end, to rust unburnish'd,

Not to shine in use! As tho' to breathe were life!

Life piled on life were all too little; and of one to me

Little remains, yet this dull spirit yearning in desire

To follow knowledge like a sinking star,

Beyond the utmost bounds of human thought.

 

Old age hath yet his honour and his toil;

Death closeth all; but something ere the end,

Some work of noble note may yet be done.

We are not now that strength that in old days

Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;

Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

 

I happen to agree with you, Baron; You've "hit the nail on the head", And for a moment there, as I was reading this inspiring adaptation, I felt its concept deep in my soul.  Memorial Day is approaching, and it's time to remember all the young men who gave their

lives never to follow knowledge--nor anything else.  Our newspaper has a section called "Community Affairs", and on the front page today was the headline in very large print,

"Memorial Day Celebration".  Celebration? Who was the idiot who thought that up?

Anyway, getting on with bumps in the road, I now have a great grandson with another on the front burner, and I cannot help but feel guilty about those who fought and died and who will never enjoy that experience as I have.  No. Memorial Day definitely is not a celebration.