The American Spirit
(One Voice, 250 Years)
I
Brave loving hearts have helped our nation stand,
though history forgets the giver’s names;
no marble marks the works of helping hands,
but countless lives are strengthened all the same.
A meal that’s shared; a burden freely borne;
a word of hope when someone’s light burns dim;
such simple gifts are quiet armor worn
by those whose rewards come from deep within.
No nation thrives by monuments alone,
nor solely by the victories of might;
its truest greatness quietly is grown
when neighbor answers neighbor in the night.
Important steps, not written in a scroll:
the caring deeds that pass from soul to soul.
II
The caring deeds that pass from soul to soul
become the unseen mortar of the land;
they bind the broken, strengthen every whole,
and join our separate lives with steady hands.
No law compels the generous to give.
No trumpet sounds when mercy lights the way,
yet through such acts our highest ideals live,
renewed by common hearts from day to day.
The smallest kindness seldom walks alone;
its footsteps echo farther than we know.
Each grateful life inspires another’s own,
and streams, combined, into a river’s flow.
These acts of love spread joy where’er they start;
our nation’s strength is measured by its heart.
III
Our nation’s strength is measured by its heart.
‘Tis not by wealth, nor power, nor renown;
but by the countless people, each a part,
who lift each other up instead of down.
For freedom asks of every soul a choice:
To serve oneself, or serve the common good;
and every act of kindness lends its voice
to all the dreams on which our fathers stood.
If we would see tomorrow standing tall,
let gratitude and mercy lead the way;
the greatest gifts are often still and small
yet shape the lives remembered every day.
I hope our children keep this truth at hand:
their loving hearts will help our nation stand.
Dusty Grein is a retired Managing Editor of a small press publishing company—as well as a graphics designer, author, and poet. Originally from Federal Way, Washington, he is a lifetime resident of the Pacific Northwest. His critically acclaimed best-selling novel, The Sleeping Giant, and his first poetry collection, A Mist Shrouded Path, are available in print and as Kindle Select titles. His shorter works and award-winning poetry have been published in several collections, including Chicken Soup for the Soul, OWS Inked, and The Quarterday Review. His blog, From Grandpa’s Heart… is followed by fans around the world.
Brave and beautiful wreath of sonnets, Dusty. Most appropriate form for your theme of the American spirit of kindness that lifts one another up. Nicely worded all through with a number of Scriptural touches. The form, I notice, further supports “togetherness” not only by using first and last lines of each sonnet to link and wreathe the whole, but also by repeating other rhymes or near rhymes. Truly, “common hearts” “join our separate lives with steady hands.”
Thank you, Margaret. Your words, as always, warm my heart.
Thank you, Mr Grein! Your gracefully put forth words touched my deeply. I will be sharing this poem with some of my Loved Ones, as well.
Thank you for your kind comment, Peg. No greater reward does any poet have, than to know his words touched another’s heart.
Two portions of your work stand out to me, Dusty: “No marble marks the works of helping hands,” paralleling the words of Scripture that hands we may deem less honorable in fact “bestow the greater honor”; and “For freedom asks of every soul a choice: To serve oneself, or serve the common good,” reminds of a minister’s exhortation regarding service, asserting “…only two choices on the shelf: God of heaven or god of self.” Thank you for your impactful effort, sir.
Thank you for your insightful comments, John. I honestly feel that servant-leadership is the most redeeming aspect of those whose call is to help guide others. In my life, that focus is on my kids and grandkids, but whether a leader is working from a podium, a pulpit, or a plow, the most successful are those whose goal is serving others first. I wonder if that truth is at the heart of many scriptures, since I feel it behind many of Jesus’s words. Have a blessed day.
True and lovely words, Dusty. It’s important to be reminded that each “small” kindness and act of generosity and care bind us together into a people with a heart for each other and great love that is not easily broken. May we get better at it every day. Thanks for the encouragement!
Thank you Jan. I wholeheartedly agree that we need to strive to be better every day. I still remember a million points of light… and I hope they keep shining for the next 250.
Dusty, this crown of sonnets is most impressive! I love the way you focus on the individual and how important every person is to America’s success. Your words are most significant at this worrying time in history. Simply beautiful.
Thank you Susan. As one of my favorite word artists here, your praise means a lot to me. My takeaway is that even though this is a difficult and arduous time in our history together, we will make it through, one act of kindness at a time.
I truly enjoyed this perspective: America seen through the character of her people, and not any event or hero. But you do not deviate into the “social” poetry of poets like Carl Sandburg, who portray a collective mass. Your “people” are individuals — kind, generous, big-hearted. That is the true virtue of America that needs to be praised more, and I’m glad you’ve done so here.
Adam, thank you for cutting through to the heart of my message. Every day we each have the chance to touch one life or make a difference, even if it’s only in a small way. When we compound all of those little elements together, we truly see the greatness that is America.