Antietam Patriots

Antietam Patriots

young
soldiers
line corn fields
clad in blue wool
at edge of west woods
waiting for their command
they hesitate, then surge forth
in clash of gunpowder and fire
with battle cries and fallen bodies
beneath the blistering September sun
one final, fatal push across the bridge
there is no braver honor than this
true patriots who gave their lives
now ghosts that haunt sacred grounds
reminders of our past
how far we have come
as we raise flags
so freedom
forever
rings

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2024
July 4, 2024

There are so many historical events to commemorate and revisit, but none are more riveting to me than The Civil War. In particular, I take extreme interest in the Battle of Antietam, which took place very close to where I grew up in Washington County, Maryland. I have written about Bloody Lane recently, and I may have written other poems in my twenty years of writing. My recently departed cousin Steve and his best friend Roy walked the Antietam Battlefield daily. They captured some beautiful, amazing sunrise pictures and detailed some of the history surrounding the battle and the different monuments and locations on the site. Roy continues this daily trek without his best friend, and I love to see his Facebook posts.

I believe that we must remember these painful times in our country’s history, teach it to our children, and ensure that this kind of thing never happens again. You cannot just erase parts of our history and pretend it never happened, no matter how ugly and devastating it was. I am proud of the brave Antietam Patriots for standing up for freedom during the bloodiest battle of the Civil War! The beautiful growth and positive changes that came after the end of the Civil War shaped our nation in so many wonderful ways, leading to even more significant changes in our future to ensure equality for all. Yes, some changes were slow to come, and there are ugly stains on the fabric of our history – but the end product is a strong tapestry of beautiful colors of our country woven together. Maybe I’m just that girl with rose-colored glasses, but I truly believe most people have good hearts. I hope you all had a wonderful July 4 holiday and celebrated the birth of our nation and remembered all who have fought and sacrificed to preserve our freedoms over the past 248 years. God bless all!

Xoxo,
Colleen

Ecrits Blogophilia Week 1.16 – True Patriots
Hard Bonus: Incorporate a historical event (The Battle of Antietam – Civil War)
Easy Bonus: Properly use “then” and “than” in your blog