WORLD WAR II
The talk of the valley was all about war!!
The talk of the nation the same.
The young men were leaving their farms by the score,
from every vocation they came.
The best and the brightest of youth volunteered
to help fight the demonic race.
Though many were frightened, the enemy feared
their courage intoned on their face
would rise above danger, though life was at stake,
they trained to be tough in a fight.
The enemy boasted our spirit would break,
but they could not fathom our might.
School children stepped up to fill adult jobs,
grandpas and grandmas did too.
Mothers took over for Jimmys and Bobs
to fill out a factory’s crew.
Where once we were building the family cars,
assembly lines spouted out trucks.
We saved everything, put food up in jars,
and victory gardens saved bucks.
Everyone sacrificed money and time.
We patched up and re-patched our tires.
War bonds were purchased with every last dime.
We built new airplanes for our flyers.
Butter and sugar were in short supply,
we bought them if we had the stamps.
Coffee was rationed and harder to buy
and car lights were shaded like lamps.
Speed limits dropped to a mere thirty-five
to save our old tires, gas, and roads.
It was hard to find fuel to go for a drive,
and trucks had to lighten their loads.
Meat shops were empty, we couldn’t buy meat.
Armed forces were first to be fed.
Grocery stores emptied of good things to eat,
including that staple called bread.
Feelings ran high and everyone prayed
to have the Lord’s blessings and care.
We all worked together with mutual aid
for those who had heart-aches to bear.
We knew there were boys who would never come back
to their homes and their families again.
There was Howard and Johnny and Billy and Jack,
and Jesse and Rodney and Ben.
Tears flowed like rivers whenever we heard
that another fine lad had been killed.
We bolstered each other with deed and with word;
shared sorrow when each heart was stilled.
That World War II, it accosted our souls,
and took many wonderful boys.
But brought us together, helped us make goals,
that division among us destroys.
Yes, war is hell! It took heavy tolls.
Sacrifice strengthened our wills.
That great generation played important roles
in teaching good attitude skills.
We learned to rely on the Lord of our prayers
after doing what e’er we could do.
We trusted in God and converted war-fares
into peaceful endeavors that grew
to proportions exceeding our dreams of success
in science and math, overdue.
Inventions in field after field did impress
the world, that of us, changed its view.
This generation, the greatest of all,
rose to occasions most high.
But this crop of people have met life’s last call,
two new generations are nigh.
Each one seems to think they’re entitled to more,
that government should pay all our bills.
We’ve lost that initiative of the 2nd World War
where everyone honed their own skills.
Children have all things to work with and play,
colleges teach them to take.
Most schools and colleges won’t let them pray and that is a fateful mistake.
Prayer had great power when we were at war,
our nation prevailed, we were one.
Our strength can be kindled again, as before,
when we prayed and we fought and we won.
World peace was attained, at least for awhile;
the pattern was for all to see.
Of course, greed and hunger, and foster of guile
would stir up more hostility.
We must not give up, we all must survive
the woes of so wicked a world.
We’ll pass on to others while we are alive,
desires for freedom unfurled.
And God is still there! If we call for His strength,
He will hear and respond to our plight.
Don’t discount a prayer, no matter what length,
Prayers have stopped many-a-fight.
God warned us in script! His prophets have told
us, protection is there at our door,
if we seek him, open our hearts, and be bold,
His love will protect as before.
By
Rex B. Valentine
