O PIONEERS

 
They came; they came
Oh Pioneers
They came, engaged
Conquered, and enslaved
Freed; grieved and believed
Moved westward
Were ensnared
Camped and shared
Were exposed, but
The nation grows
Eventually from 
The east to west
Wounded or killed
Survived all dread
Prayed for the
Hand of God
Part of the history
Is still a mystery
Fighting over land
A part of our freedom
From tyranny to this
The abyss, but bridges
Were built; courage it took
And never to look
Back and flee, for
This was earned 
By toil and sweat
Animals and farmland
No sure bet
Losses and survival
A combination like
Life and death
The old got older
And the young did the same
But this was theirs
They had no shame
Took their loss
In flood or flame
Started over; kept moving
Pride overflowed; they glowed
O pioneers

Stanski
September 18, 2021 ^