KEEPERS OF THE FLAME–by Richard Weigand

Nov 10, 2024

As a note of love, acknowledgement and thanks to those who have kept alive the flame of freedom on earth, we present this poem, “Keepers of the Flame” recently composed by Richard Weigand

Keepers of the Flame

A skull-topped cane, a gift I send

To every warrior, every friend.

A symbol of the path we’ve crossed

Of every battle won and lost

Its weight reminds of all we bore

Of what we fought for, and still more

The skull once seemed to speak of death,

But now I know, it’s life we kept

Through many lifetimes we have fought,

Against the shadows evil brought

In every age, in every land,

We stood as one, with sword in hand.

We faced the dark, we felt its stare

Carried its weight in every prayer

But in my youth, I could not see

The depth of what we came to be.

Each life we lived, each battle met,

A warriors path, I won’t forget.

Once I thought the fight was just

A simple duty, born of trust.

I never saw the spirit’s flame,

Or the sacred cause within our aim.

Not ’till these years, this quiet time,

Did I grasp the reason for the climb.

Our mission clear, our purpose bright,

To guard the soul, to shield its light,

To hold the line, not just for land,

But for the spirit of every man.

And now old friends, as life draws near

To the final breath, the last frontier,

I see the truth of all we’ve done,

The battles lost, the battles won.

For through the wars, through blood and fire,

We’ve built a world where spirits rise higher.

We fight not just for flesh and bone,

But for the soul, the deeper home.

Hold fast to it, and let it be

A sign of strength and clarity

That though we age, though bodies break,

Our purpose still, we won’t forsake

For now I know what’s greater still,

The future we shaped with heart and will

We are the keepers of the flame

In every life, we are the same.

We fought for man, for hope, for love,

With strength below and light above.

And now, at last, I see the way,

The truth revealed in life’s decay.

We rise again, as warriors do,

Another life, another view.

And when you hold that cane with pride,

Remember battles fought and tried.

The skull reminds us of the cost,

Of lessons learned, and paths once crossed.

Yet, even when this life must end

We rise again, old friend to old friend.

For though this life may fade away,

Our spirit fights another day.

Evil may fall, or rise once more,

But we will meet it, as before.

Our goal: to free the hearts of men,

To leave this world more whole again.

A better place, with love and grace,

A brighter dawn for every face.

And now I see what’s truly won:

The spirit’s light in everyone.