When the sun sets on this blessed day

When the dark comes to take the light away

When the song is sung and the singing stops

When the silence is the only thing that never seems to stop

Who will remember this generation,

The sons and daughters of a split nation

Who can remember the dying embers that seem to fade away in the cold of December?

Can I remember the faces and places of in the midst of the race

Against history?

What will become of us?

When I am old, will I tell the stories

Of a nation sinking from its original glory

Or of one rising up to a new occasion?

Will the dead be honored for the lives they gave

Or will their names be wiped from the grave

To honor someone else

When they worked hard to give this all to us?

Will history cause the children to forget

Because no one wants to remember the regret and pain

Will they try to make it seem

That the greatest people were the only ones that mattered.

Will we be forgotten in this mad race to make a place for oneself

And even if we try to put our name on this land

When will it be covered by the new people who will stand?

Who will remember the mothers

Who raised the children of the world?

Who will remember the fathers

Who fought to make this the best world

For their children, the centers of their hearts.

Who will remember the men and women

Who perhaps didn’t make the grade

And resolved to live a quieter life

Filled with love and kindness and everything great

From the servers to the washers to the doctors and the lawyers

The people who made a difference

Step by step

Line upon line

Precept upon precept.

Who will remember the soldiers

The men and women

Who miss each baseball game, Christmas, and awards assembly

To risk their lives

To die

For their country?

Who will honor them?

Who will honor us?

Will our names be blackened by history

And the mistakes others made

Just because they happened to make the grade

That everyone tries to meet?

Will we be forgotten because we were not

Rich enough?

Powerful enough?

Outspoken enough?

Seen enough?

Talked about enough?

Scandalized enough?

Will we be replaced by

Fame Seekers

Liars

Killers

And everyone else

Who stomps the

Peacekeepers

Kind ones

Saviors?

Who will remember us?

Can I remember enough

To tell my children about the history of my home

And those who changed life for the better?

Can I remember it all for you?

For the people who deserve to be remembered?

Can this next generation

Remember the glory of each

Revolution

Act of Kindness

Peace treaty

And small service?

Remember!

Remember!

Remember!

For who will remember us

When we are devoured by the dust

Of this new generation?

 

Hold my hand tightly-

Do not stray from my side.

Stay with me in this oncoming tide

Of a new world ready to leave us behind.

Remain together.

Hold on.

Say a small prayer-

Or don’t.

Simply stay with me

My friend

And we will remain steadfast.

But if the tide rips us apart

If your heart gives out to the fear of the storm

If you flee someplace else in search of someplace warm

Remember me.

And I will remember you.

Raise a glass to tonight-

Hold my hand tight-

One last time

For this night only

We are at the top of the world.

And if we can hold on

We will tell them all of how we won

And we will tell the stories

Pass them on

So that the song will not remain unsung

And go on

On

On.

Remember, my dear friend.

Come close, my dear friend.

Hold to me, my dear friend.

Here it comes.