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Stories / Stories / Steve Doyle / Text 21 of 45 / Gettysburg

"Gettysburg" by Steve Doyle

SciFi/Fantasy text 21 out of 45 by Steve Doyle. ←Previous - Next→

This was written for the 130th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address November 19, 1863. In attendance are 2 very special delegates - Thomas Jefferson (1743-1825) & Benjamin Franklin(1706-1790) - they're concerned about their country during this time of civil conflict, and have appeared to hear what President Lincoln has to say...

←- The Game | The Headless Horseman -→

Gettysburg

A tall man stepped up to a platform atop a hill.
He unfolded his speech and waited patiently
For a crowd of thousands to become still.

He had not turned down this invitation.
Although much pressed for time
He wanted to attend this commemoration.

They had gathered to dedicate a cemetery.
The battle having occurred only months ago
Was still very fresh in collective memory

A hushed crowd listened to its president:

Fourscore and seven years ago
our fathers brought forth on this continent

Present for this particular oration
A pair of dignitaries strained to hear.

a new nation

The crowd stopped shuffling as he cast his spell.

conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition
that all men are created equal.

As one of the dignitaries listened to the President
His mind returned to an earlier age.
We hold these truths to be self-evident

Now we are engaged in a great civil war
testing whether that nation or any nation
so conceived and so dedicated can long endure...

The mind of the dignitary wandered again
As he recalled another conflict
Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

Words from the declaration of that nation's birth.

...And that government of the people, by the people, for the people
shall not perish from the earth.

“What do you think, Tom, will this child of ours survive?”
The dignitary nodded, “Ben, had that man been among us
I believe he would certainly have signed.”

The dignitaries donned their tri-cornered hats.
Satisfied with the security of the nation's future
They returned to its past.

←- The Game | The Headless Horseman -→

Date	Name	Comment
21 Nov 2003	D Joelle Duran	Loading... Oh, that's beautiful. Neat idea, too! I like how you wove the speech into your poem. Steve Doyle replies: "This was an interesting exercise. The Gettysburg Address does not rhyme very well (Not that it was meant to.) Some of the rhymes I've tried to make seem a bit stretched but it doesn't seem that bad considering. "
24 Nov 2003	Heather 'Istara' Sluys	Loading... Now that's truly awesome . . . it really tugged at my heartstrings! Lovely.
12 Dec 2003	'Princess' Laura Hewett	Loading... Ooh, I like that one. Very sweet. You did a wonderful job of honoring the country and all. cupcakes and cheese
6 Mar 2004	Maisha 'Elenwyn' Foster-O'Neal	Loading... it's really interesting how much of history and actual fact you put into your writing. Often it's hard to seperate your creation from what really happened.. that's a talent. very cool. heh, i like doing research... yes, i research for fun, but only on things i am interested in... ooo, like pirates and stuff... great fun. o yes. Peace and meltable mushrooms, ~Elenwyn~
6 May 2004	Lindsey M. Butler	Loading... Aha! They travelled through time to check up on the future. Good thing they caught Lincoln and not some of our more recents presidents. Steve Doyle replies: "Maybe they'd come back for good. We sure could use Franklin's diplomacy & Jefferson's good sense around now."
16 Nov 2005	Dan Shevock	Loading... Greatly done, it sent shivers up my spine in pride. Sort of reminded me (in sense if not topic) of an Aaron Copland piece I once heard (band and poem) I think it was called "Lincoln Portrait." If you don't know it, you should give it a listen sometime. (I haven't seen it performed for about 10 years)

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'Gettysburg':

• Created by:

Steve Doyle
• Copyright: ©Steve Doyle. All rights reserved!

• Keywords: Gettysburg, Ghosts, Lincoln
• Categories: Ghosts, Ghouls, Aparitions
• Views: 539