American Civil War Chronicles 1
This series is dedicated to my friend Frank James Ryan Jr
Author’s Note.
If it had not been for Frank suggesting to diversify, this series might never have come into being. It was while thinking of what he said that the idea of writing about the American Civil War of 1861 to 1865 came into my mind. I plan to chart the Civil War in poem from its beginning to its eventual end. I will try to be as accurate as I can with my words and order of events.
DVH
BEGINNINGS BEFORE SHOTS WERE FIRED
Wars are only started
when diplomacy fails to win.
So it was in 1859
two years before the civil war began.
Neither side wanted to give an inch,
though the South was easing their stance,
and if the talking went on for another year,
the bloodshed might have been
averted completely.
However, the agitators were out in force,
and through their actions,
the talking began to crumble,
peace died and wither in dust.
When John Brown seized the Federal arsenal
at Harpers Ferry to start a slave insurrection in the South.
It was just one spark that would help ignite a war.
That in four years would pit
brother against brother, and friend against friend.
It was a war that was to shape
a fledgling country, for its future days.
The bitterness it created
was to last for years,
after the fighting
was just a distant memory,
creating distrust with wounds,
burning deep within families,
causing feuding and banditry,
before hatches were finally buried.
25 August 2007
poem by David Harris
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Related quotes
For Bill - My Brother
Who was aged five when I was born
My brother
Who hid my toys and broke my dolls
My brother
Who avoided his sister at school all day
My brother
Who tolerated my teenage years
My brother
Who as an adult became a friend
My brother
Who mellowed with each passing year
My brother
Who supported my desire to immigrate
My brother
Who was there when others weren't
My brother
Who buried our parents while I was gone
My brother
Who cherished every visit I made
My brother
Who had his ticket to visit me here
My brother
Who unexpectedly died this year
My brother
poem by Evelyn Macdonald
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Old Dan
Old stories he told and old ballads he sung
The Tans were in Ireland when old Dan was young
He was twenty six years in nineteen sixteen
And the bitterness and grief of war he had seen.
I knew him when he was in his mid sixties in his life's early Fall
And he said his Civil war memories were his saddest memories of all
When the signing of a Treaty caused families to divide
And brother at the hand of brother had died.
He had fought in war but the praises of war would not sing
He said war to Ireland death and sorrow did bring
A heroic freedom fighter of which he never did brag
He said far too many lives lost for the colour of a flag.
With the deceased of Munster for decades he lay
I knew him as an ageing man his hair silver gray
He told stories and sung songs of his younger years
Of the Ireland he loved Land of bloodshed and tears.
poem by Francis Duggan
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The Civil War
What in the world is a Civil War?
There's nothing civil about it.
Is it just a metaphor?
You say one thing and mean another.
You take up sides and kill your brother.
And that my friends
is civil?
poem by Edwina Reizer
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Brother Brother
“Brother Brother a long time has past 15 years since I’ve seen you last
Your laughter and smile will never die like your spirit that fills the sky
We have to look for your signs ever present in our lives
Your voice echoes in the wind like a whisper from a friend
A shooting star from above a little sign to show me your love
Brother I’m there watching over you like a Guardian Angel
Talk to me I will listen I hear your thoughts and your worries
I feel your pain and your joy my soul has never died
Always keep me in your heart and my memory alive
I will be there to greet you on the other side
Eternal love and friendship “
Logan was talking about the Civil War, which claimed the lives of more than 500,000 Americans. He wanted to provide Civil War veterans with a day to pay respects to their fellow soldiers who did not live to see the end of the war, without losing a day's pay.
quote by Doc Hastings
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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On The Day That Pudsy Died
A cold fog from the mountain stole across the countryside
And cloaked the fields in greyness on the day that Pudsy died
She had survived many life's battles and she did not die easily
Like her I too must go the way of time whenever that will be.
Our dark brown cattle dog Pudsy to us devoted to the end
All of our family grieved for her she was a family friend
We buried her by our old home beside the cypress tree
And despite the passing of the years she lives in my memory.
More of a hunting than a cattle dog for fox and badger she went to ground
And she was the best fighting dog for miles and miles around
When challenged by another dog Pudsy never backed away
Though she never did start a fight that much of her one can say.
I watched her fighting many times and never see her beat
she was the champion fighting dog on our side of Millstreet
As a watchdog or a guard dog on her one could not depend
For Pudsy did love people she was everybody's friend.
A hairy rugged outdoor dog she did not mind it wet and cold
She even slept out in the rain though time had left her old
As an outdoor dog she lived and died and of her I can say
That she enjoyed the outdoor sort of life in her own happy way.
A cold fog stole down from the hill and cloaked the fields in gray
On the day our dark brown cattle dog old Pudsy passed away
Until the moment that she died as our friend she did remain
And often times in my memory I hunt with her again.
poem by Francis Duggan
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If God Could Give Us A New Brother?
If God could give us a new brother?
What type of broyher would he give us?
Would he be a very friendly brother?
If God could give us a new brother?
It would be nice to have a brother that listens to us
If God could give us a new brother?
Could he be our friend?
Could he share his feelings with us?
If God could give us a new brother?
Could he stop to put us down?
Could he show us his love?
If God could give us a new brother?
It would be impossible
Because there would had to be our mother and father
They would be the ones that could do it through God
Now it is history for us
Unless it is a friend that is humble
A friend that has some feelings and understanding
He could be our new brother
Brothers we can never change
Or get rid of
They are a part of us
Weather we like it or not
poem by Aldo Kraas
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But my point is these Civil War songs were gruesome. The hatred that's so bad in this country today, and for the past 10 or 15 years, bad as it is, is nothing compared to the kind of things people would write down and sing back in the Civil War.
quote by T-Bone Burnett
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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A Lasting Friendship
For Betty Burton
A friend for over thirty years.
It is funny just how time slips away.
It only seems like yesterday
when the two of us met,
long, long ago in 1976.
It was in September of that year
a friend persuaded me
to go along to a writing class
to help boost up the numbers
and my moral.
With just four pupils
and five when I came along,
so a small intimate group
all with the desire to write,
but Betty became
the most famous of us all
with over thirteen
historical romantic bestsellers.
She really has made her name.
I am proud to say
I was there when she began.
I remember when
she had her first short story published
it was a treat to us all.
If Betty could do it
then there was some hope for us all.
She even started teaching
and I was a guest speaker
at one of her classes,
and as the years passed on by,
we met up with one another
very occasionally,
but what remained
even to this day
was a lasting friendship.
About that
there is nothing more to say.
17 January 2007
poem by David Harris
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What makes a friend?
A friend
What makes a friend?
A friend
Is someone that everyone needs
A friend
Is that special one
A friend
Is someone you tell EVERYTHING
A friend
Is someone you never lie to
A friend
Can be a boy or a girl
A friend
Is someone that is always their
A friend
Will always listen to you
A friend
Always has input to give
A friend
Will never leave you in the dust
A friend
Will help you through the thick and the thin
A friend
Will always stand by your side
A friend
Will never let you down
A friend
Is someone everyone needs
What would you do if you didnt have a friend?
poem by Ashley Olson
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Easier to Digest
Civil unrest
Civil war
Civil chaos
Or...
My personal favorite,
Civil disobedience!
Which of these has more flavor...
And yet caffeine free?
More taste,
And yet less filling?
'I vote we go with civil unrest!
It's easier to digest...
And maintains that robust appeal.'
Now we are getting somewhere!
And you George...
What would you like?
~Just pass me the vodka!
No rocks! ~
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
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To My Brother...
More than the blood of my blood. He is my friend,
my rock...my brother.
Brother, in times of need, never judging, always there.
My Brother, could, would, always make things right.
Brother, never made much ado, about the task at
hand...he just did it.
Brother, who lifted me, when I was down.
Brother, who brought the laughter, amid the pain.
Brother, the word he never spoke...was 'no'.
Brother, who had the answers, to my questions.
Brother, who by example, did walk the path of right.
Brother, in all my years...in all my life, never have
I met another...like my loving brother.
The Blood That Binds...
More than the blood of my blood. He is my friend,
my rock...my brother.
Brother, in times of need, never judging, always there.
My Brother, could, would, always make things right.
Brother, never made much ado, about the task at
hand...he just did it.
Brother, who lifted me, when I was down.
Brother, who brought the laughter, amid the pain.
Brother, the word he never spoke...was 'no'.
Brother, who had the answers, to my questions.
Brother, who by example, did walk the path of right.
Brother, in all my years...in all my life, never have
I met another...like my loving brother.
He Is My Blood...
More than the blood of my blood. He is my friend,
my rock...my brother.
Brother, in times of need, never judging, always there.
My Brother, could, would, always make things right.
Brother, never made much ado, about the task at
hand...he just did it.
Brother, who lifted me, when I was down.
Brother, who brought the laughter, amid the pain.
Brother, the word he never spoke...was 'no'.
Brother, who had the answers, to my questions.
Brother, who by example, did walk the path of right.
Brother, in all my years...in all my life, never have
I met another...like my loving brother.
Lifelong Bonds...
More than the blood of my blood. He is my friend,
my rock...my brother.
Brother, in times of need, never judging, always there.
My Brother, could, would, always make things right.
Brother, never made much ado, about the task at
hand...he just did it.
Brother, who lifted me, when I was down.
Brother, who brought the laughter, amid the pain.
Brother, the word he never spoke...was 'no'.
Brother, who had the answers, to my questions.
Brother, who by example, did walk the path of right.
Brother, in all my years...in all my life, never have
I met another...like my loving brother.
Brother...
More than the blood of my blood. He is my friend,
my rock...my brother.
Brother, in times of need, never judging, always there.
My Brother, could, would, always make things right.
Brother, never made much ado, about the task at
hand...he just did it.
Brother, who lifted me, when I was down.
Brother, who brought the laughter, amid the pain.
Brother, the word he never spoke...was 'no'.
Brother, who had the answers, to my questions.
Brother, who by example, did walk the path of right.
Brother, in all my years...in all my life, never have
I met another...like my loving brother.
In Loving Memory
A long time ago,1976 to be exact
a friend said I should go along
to a writing class he had joined.
Therefore, I did and met someone,
who was to change my life.
However, I did not know it at the time.
For the first couple of years he was simply my tutor.
However, as the years rolled on,
he became my mentor,
and most of all my friend.
For every year, we knew one another
the friendship grew stronger than before.
Before I met Maurice,
he had published four novels
and I have every one.
He started with A City Called Holy,
next came The Splendour and the Havoc,
and then The World and the Flesh,
and finally Across the Frontier.
He also wrote plays,
produced, directed and acted
in them with his wife Peggy.
When I met him his books
were out of print,
but through the years,
I found them one by one.
After a friendship that lasted
over seventeen years Maurice died.
However just before he passed away,
he told me how his local library
had approached him, wanting to know
if he had any copies of his books,
as they only had one left.
He did not and felt sadly about that.
As he told me, I made a promise to myself.
Not matter how long it took,
or how much it would cost,
his local library would have,
those books of his they did not have.
More than ten years passed from the time of his death,
until I was finally able to fulfil my promise.
I collected through the years
the books the library was missing.
In January 2006, I presented them to his local library.
It was a way of saluting a special friend,
helping keep his name alive.
I did it because of the special gifts,
through the years he gave me.
His friendship, his knowledge and help
with my writing no one had ever given before.
Therefore, any success
that I may ever achieve
can be contributed to him.
A gentleman of words,
my tutor, my mentor,
and lastly a very kind and special friend.
(For the late Maurice Callard)
poem by David Harris
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A Friend LikeYou
A friend like you is like no other friend
A friend like you is a friend I don't regret meeting
A friend like you is like a friend I can't scream at or fight with
A friend like you is like having no worries in my life
A friend like you is a friend that I don't want to lose
A friend like you is like being in comfort all day
A friend like you is a friend I always wanted
A friend like you is awesomely awesome
A friend like you is random and funny
A friend like you is a friend that I love to death and I will never let go
A friend like you is a friend I can tell all my secrets to
A friend like you..
A friend like you is like the little sister I've always wanted
A friend that I can go to tell them what's wrong
A friend like you is like having no dark days because you brighten them up
A friend like you is a friend that opens up my eyes and helps me avoid bad things
A friend like you is a type of friend that laughs at dumb things I say or do
A friend like you is a friend I am proud to call my best friend...
poem by Shubham Kumar
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Big Brother Me?
I have a friend far across the sea.
We have never met,
but she is never far away.
Our hands have never touched,
but our hearts have,
through our words
that bring comfort and console.
We are not related,
but a big brother she thinks I am.
She is always writing
about this distant friend.
So now is my chance
to write one for her.
I hope when she reads it
she will get a silly grin.
29 June 2007
poem by David Harris
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Who Is Your Best Friend?
Everybody needs friends, we all have friends
Some friends are closer to us than our families
If we happen to fall, there are friends to pick us up
What will our life be without friends?
There are many categories of friendship
There are casual friends, bad friends and good friends
The question here is – who is your best friend?
Friends who can turn your tears into laughter
Is your wife your best friend?
I mean the friend you go to
When you need honest advice
Is your husband your best friend?
I mean the friend who knows you
More than you know yourself
Is your brother or sister your best friend?
I mean the friend who always assists you
To solve difficult personal problems
Is your father or mother your best friend?
I mean the friend you feel safe to keep secrets
Are your in-laws your best friend?
I mean the friend you can tell anything
Is your boss or co-worker your best friend?
I mean the friend who can cover you up at work
Is your son or daughter your best friend?
I mean the friend you use as sounding board
For all your confidential and private thoughts
Is your former classmate your best friend?
I mean the friend who cheers you up on bad days
Whoever may be your best friend, remember that
A friend in need is always a friend indeed
poem by Julius Babarinsa
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