By Douglas J. Lanzo
Copyright 2026
First published in Literary Yard (July 9, 2026 Issue)
There is no bridge or battlement
that they refused to cross,
no high sea cliffs or mines ashore
that deterred their ships storm-tossed;
They braved hellfire withering —
RPGs crackling through the air —
sky scorched with flames and shrapnel-pierced,
flashing bright outside their lairs.
They did not break, holding their lines,
advancing through the night,
giving all they had, and then some more,
some did not see the light.
Today we pause to honor them
laying wreaths upon their graves,
unfathomably pondering,
“How could they be so brave?”
Our warriors of freedom
as timeless as the waves…
may we honor them forever
for the country that they saved.