Martin Luther King
We pause today to hear his dream,
A call for justice, strong and clean.
That love outshines the darkest night,
And truth still bends the arc to right.
With courage voiced in peaceful ways,
He lit the path for brighter days.
So let our words and actions say:
We live his dream—now and always.
Amos 5:24 (KJV)
“But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.”
MarkWaldrop
250 YEARS
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
250 YEARS
Two hundred fifty years have passed
and still the Eagle stands,
its talons wrapped in courage,
its gaze set on distant lands.
From Tun Tavern’s blazing birthplace
to the halls where legends soar,
from Belleau Wood to Fallujah’s streets
Marines remain forever more.
They rise where others falter,
they advance where others break;
when the world cries out for courage,
it is the Marines who undertake.
They’ve carried freedom on their shoulders,
through fire, storm, and sand
with discipline that does not waver,
and honor carved by hand.
They have guarded every ocean,
they have crossed each foreign shore;
where the flag has needed defenders,
the Corps has answered—and more.
The drumbeat still is thunder,
the cadence never fades;
the lineage of warriors echoes
in every Marine Brigade.
No fragility of daylight,
no darkness thick or deep,
can break the vow they swore to keep
nor silence what they speak:
“In every clime and place
we stand.
With steadfast heart
we fight.
For God, for Corps, for Country
we carry freedom’s light.”
So raise the colors high today,
let them snap against the sky;
for the blood that built this legacy
did not fear to bleed or die.
United States Marines
past, present, and still to be
your oath has shaped a nation,
your courage keeps it free.
Semper Fidelis.
Now and forever
the watch is yours to keep.
Mark C. Waldrop
The Loss of Love
Politics boils with anger today,
Its voice grows harsh, its heart led astray.
Once built for people, for justice, for care,
Now power and pride fill the halls of the air.
The reason is simple, the truth plain to see,
They’ve lost love for humanity.
Without compassion, no law can stand,
No healing will come to a broken land.
But if love returns, both gentle and strong,
It will quiet the hate, and right what is wrong.
For the heart that seeks people above the fight,
Will guide politics back to mercy and light.
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.”
— Micah 6:8 (NIV)
Mark C. Waldrop
Selfless Service
Selfless service, the soldier’s creed,
A call to answer in time of need.
At West Point’s gates, they learn to give,
To guard the land so others live.
The willingness to serve, a noble start,
Discipline forged, with courage of heart.
Yet even the strongest must bow above,
For higher still is Christ’s great love.
West Point trains with duty in mind,
But Christ laid down His life for mankind.
One may teach how to fight and defend,
The other—how mercy and grace never end.
Both demand sacrifice, steadfast and true,
Yet Christ’s love redeems, makes all things new.
So honor the service that soldiers impart,
But know perfect love flows only from His heart.
Mark C. Waldrop
John 15:13 (KJV)
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Fourth of July
The fourth of July is my Favorite time of year
It draws us closer to our family so dear
Picnics Barbecues and all the fun things
With these traditions great joy, it brings
Fireworks Hamburgers Hotdogs and Apple Pie
All these are great Treasures in my eye
Our Country was founded on Faith in our GOD
Giving us great wisdom by which we are awed
Let us remember the Sacrifices of so many
So that we might have Freedom with Peace and Plenty
July 3, 2021
Mark Waldrop
A Mothers Prayer
I was in the army
Doing the best I could
My Mother prayed for me every day at four
I knew she would
My Sargent asked
for a volunteer one day
To replace a tattered flag
Without delay
Bullets flying all around
No volunteer made a sound
I stepped up and said I would
But I would like to wait till four if I could
The Sargent said why such an unusual hour
I said that’s when my Momma prays for me
And gives me God's power
The time came
I shimmied up the pole
Bullets flying all around
With GODS help I made it to the ground
I handed the Sargent the tattered Flag
He saluted and said
Son you only have GOD to brag
July 19, 2021
MarkWaldrop
What does Memorial Day mean to you and Me
It’s a Sacred day to honor all who died to keep us free
It's a day to remember a relative or friend
Who gave his all to the very end
It's Our Freedoms and Liberties we owe to them all
Because they heard that Great Gallant Call
Freedoms that we hold so dear are not so Free
It is Paid for by the Blood shed for you and me
Greater Love hath no man than to give his life for another
That’s the Ultimate Sacrifice, that can be made by a Brother
MarkWaldrop
You Are Not Forgotten
In battles fought, in scars they bear,
Veterans stand, a solemn prayer.
Freedom's price, they've truly known,
Their courage, a legacy sown.
Through wars and trials, they have stood,
A testament to brotherhood.
Our duty clear, to safeguard the gain,
For their sacrifice, not in vain.
Let gratitude be our heartfelt song,
For veterans brave, courageous and strong.
A pledge to keep the flame alight,
To honor them, both day and night.
November 11, 2023
MarkWaldrop
In America, the impossible stands,
As dreams take flight in determined hands.
Where mountains are moved, and rivers are crossed,
What once seemed impossible is never lost.
From fields of hope to the stars above,
Fueled by courage, faith, and love,
We dare to build, to strive, to create,
Defying the odds, reshaping fate.
Through trials faced and battles won,
We rise again with each new sun.
With grit and grace, we pass each test—
In America, the impossible is what we do best.
For limits bend to the will to try,
And failure fuels the will to fly.
Together we march, our hearts possessed,
By a vision where the impossible rests.
MarkWaldrop
We stand tall, unwavering, proud,
Voices strong, our hearts unbowed.
With freedom’s light, we pave the way,
Americans bold, come what may.
Our flag flies high, its colors bright,
A symbol of courage, justice, and might.
Yet in our strength, we humbly see,
Our true foundation: divinity.
For we kneel to God and God alone,
The cornerstone of the land we own.
His guidance leads, His grace sustains,
Through every triumph, through every pain.
No throne of man, no worldly creed,
Can shape our hearts or meet our need.
We stand as one, united and free,
But bow to God, our destiny.
Americans strong, with faith in hand,
Under His watch, we’ll always stand.
With trust in Him, forever known,
We kneel to God and God alone.
MarkWaldrop