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It Goes Without Saying
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created
equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the
pursuit of Happiness.” —the Declaration of Independence
Self-evident truths were once taught in this nation
and caused us to issue a bold Declaration
that showed how our rights had been, through usurpation,
infringed to the point that we sought separation.
United we stood behind that resolution.
Excited we fought in that great revolution.
Our victory in battle secured restitution
of rights we enshrined in our new constitution.
We firmly rejected tyrannical voices,
so now “We the People” can make our own choices
with everyone equal, not one of us greater,
endowed with rights granted us by our Creator.
Still flawed but pursuing a more perfect union,
made possible only when we’re in communion
remembering truths by which, if we are guided,
we’ll be a great house that’s no longer divided.
Self-evident truths will remain true whatever
the time or the place, and they stay true forever.
They go without saying but still must be stated
so we won’t forget we’re uniquely created.
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Warren Bonham is a private equity investor who lives in Southlake, Texas.
Warren, I wholeheartedly endorse your marvelous poem with all the key trappings of the Declaration in evidence. This belongs in educational institutions as a way to amplify our beloved document.
I hope you had a great 4th and I’m glad you enjoyed this poem! The documents the founders left us have so much wisdom in them.
Thank you Warren for a great poem this Independence Day. Let us hope and pray there will be many more.
This country has weathered so many storms but the rot that is now accumulating within may present the toughest challenge. I hope we’re up to it.
Nice! Happy Independence Day to everyone.
Ditto. I hope everyone had a chance to recharge their batteries yesterday while thinking about how unlikely it was that this great (but imperfect) country ever came to be.
Wonderful idea, Warren, to take the Declaration’s “self-evident truths” and fashion a poem that “goes without saying.” Even better to make note of why we say something nonetheless. The whole poem exhibits a lively rhythm, and if a speaker is short on time, the last two stanzas alone make a good Fourth of July recitation for listeners to take away and ponder. I plan to bring them out for future Independence Days–and hope you had a happy one this year!
Thanks! You nailed the intent of the poem better than I could have. Our founders did a great job of enumerating the limited number of “capital T”, timeless Truths. We now spend all of our time ignoring those Truths while we argue over “lower case t” truths that change all of the time and do nothing more than create a massive distraction. The founders wouldn’t be very impressed by what this generation has wrought.
Warren, this is a strong, patriotic poem which sets forth the founding principles of our great nation and our struggle against tyranny. Your words are wise as you invite us to review and renew these principles. I especially like your observation that “we’re in communion/remembering truths by which, if we are guided,/we’ll be a great house that’s no longer divided.” And I especially appreciate your invocation of our Creator who has endowed us with our rights. In God We Trust. Thank you for this poem. Though late, I wish you a Happy Independence Day!
Great 4th yesterday (spent far away from the Texas heat). I hope you enjoyed yours as well! Thanks for the supportive comments. If we got back to In God We Trust, we’d do well as a nation.
A timely reminder of who we are and what we stand for in melodious stanzas that let us know exactly why we celebrate Independence Day. Let’s hope your heartfelt words inspire all those who see freedoms ebbing away to try that bit harder to keep them. Warren, thank you!