Our Constitution's Birthday
(September 17, 2008)

In the year, Seventeen eighty-seven
Those thirty-nine, changed our History
They signed that piece of parchment
Said, we were, the Land of the Free.

In more than two hundred twenty years
It has gone through a few changes
That's not, an easy thing to get done
For, all of our lives, it rearranges.

The First through Tenth Amendments
Are known as our Bill of Rights
And many times, they were in danger
But, the People, usually won those fights.

Sometimes, those people in power
Try to change them, for their gain
Sometimes they will just ignore them
Like we've seen, time and again.

They are our only, real protection
With a high and terrible price to pay
If we don't keep fighting for them
There's some, would take them all away.

Other Amendments, Thirteen and Fifteen
Abolished Racial Suffrage and Slavery
Supposed to give promised Rights
To all of those promised, Liberty.

The Sixteenth, allowed for Income Tax
And as we know, it has many a flaw
Some say, that it was never Ratified
That, it was never made, a Legal Law.

The Eighteenth, Prohibition of Alcohol
Which was, another legal blunder
With organized crime borne of it
And, the Rule of Law torn, asunder.

The Nineteenth, said Women could Vote
After a very long, contentious fight
Just look at what those Ladies have done
Since, they got their, American Right.

Then, a Repeal of Prohibition
Came with the Twenty-first
In most places, booze flowed freely
To quench America's, hearty thirst.

The Twenty-second said, Two Terms
Was, all a President could serve
But, as we know, for some, one
Was one more, than they deserved.

The Twenty-sixth said we could Vote
When reaching Eighteen years of age
Since they could fight and die for us
Every time, we had a War to wage.

Those great words of our Constitution
Have served our Country long, and well
Will they withstand the test of time
Or will History show, our Nation, fell?

If we don't protect them with our life
If we bow to those powers that, be
If we let them twist those words around
One sad day, we'll be no longer, Free.

We can't let our precious Bill of Rights
Fail, to protect us all, as they must do
We can't let one man, or group of men
Twist them into something, they construe.

Though, our Constitution is not perfect
Our Founding Fathers knew, this so
And, "In God We Trust", is not enough
Our Freedom depends, on where, we go.

We must each, defend those Freedoms
From outside foes, and those, within
It's, We, the People, wield the power
To lose this battle, which, we must, win.

So, On this Constitution Day
Let's each, pay the price we owe
To uphold those words of Wisdom
Penned upon that parchment, long ago.

Del "Abe" Jones
09.16.2008