| Stripes | 
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| My friend, Joe, was a hearty young man
But he marched to his own drum beat
One day he met up with a gang of thieves
He soon became scum on the street.
Refrain:
Mourn with me the loss of my friend
Listen to his story
Life was good and so was he
Way back in the days of his glory.
One day he stole just an apple
He was caught near the scene of the crime
I wondered then how justice was fair,
When, the judge gave him nine years of time.
While Joe wore stripes in the prison
His duties were oft mixed and matched
He washed and ironed, both shirts and pants
Most often, he had to patch.
Two years of his life he did penance,
The judge said, “The choice is now yours;
Make all your family proud people
Your decision could alter your score.”
“There’s a war being fought in our country
You can join in the ranks of the bold
Fighting for freedom and justice,
Or stay in these stripes, getting old.”
So, off to war went this soldier
Fighting the South for the North,
Believing in freedom and justice,
Believing in freedom of choice.
Joe now wore a stripe upon his sleeve
The rank of private, so proud
He followed the Yankee banner
And honor to his country avowed.
The soldier marched through battlefields
Dodged musket balls of lead
But, his heart was heavy laden
O’er the youth, that there, lay dead.
One day the standard had fallen
Joe was ordered to carry the flag
In the midst of the melee, he pondered
Would he run, or pick up the slack?
Joe knew right then, his fate was sealed
When he stood with banner high
For in the forefront he must go
It was his honor to charge and die.
Day after day, he carried that flag
To give homage to the brave
At night he mended and patched the tears
Only then - did the colors not wave.
Joe felt the burn of the bayonet
And saw in the Rebel’s eyes
That same insolent, defiant, lad
That Joe once was inside.
Joe’s now dressed in the finest cloth
For it adds honor to his story
You see, across his coffin is draped new stripes,
Red, white and blue,
“Old Glory.”
Last refrain:
Mourn with me the loss of my friend,
Now, that you know his story.
Life was good and so was he
Joe’s back for a day of glory. | By Nancy Whittington Moore
Copyright 2007
Listed June 21, 2007 |
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