Aug 2018
Lower the flag to half-staff.
Sing out loudly. Repeat the refrain:
Let us honor the legacy
And life of Senator John McCain.
McCain was the son and grandson of navy
Admirals. In his wild past he
Garnered a nickname from fellow students
Due to his cockiness: McNasty.
Later McCain's cockiness
Transformed into pluck, resolve, and verve.
Following in his father's footsteps,
He, too, decided to serve.
McCain proved that he could succeed
Despite not being at the top of his class.
Though he was fifth from the bottom at the
Academy, he would still pass.
Off to Southeast Asia he went.
On one mission while trying to destroy
A power plant, his plane was shot down
Over the skies of central Hanoi.
Captured, brutally beaten, and tortured,
McCain spent over 2,000 days
At the "Hanoi Hilton"--not what he
Would call in life his happiest phase.
Released in 1973
And broken in body but not in spirit,
He'd serve his country in other ways.
Life gets you down only if you fear it.
Elected to the House in '82
And then to the Senate in '86,
McCain wanted to make a difference
By throwing himself into politics.
In his first run for president,
A smear campaign did him in.
He tried again in 2008,
But again he wasn't meant to win.
A "maverick" they called McCain.
He didn't seek glory, fame, or applause.
Fighting for causes larger than himself
Was truly fighting for a real cause.
Many a politician on both
The right and left would admit to be a fan
Of John McCain. One didn't have to
Agree with him to respect the man.
Not afraid to admit his mistakes,
And though often called a hawk,
McCain came around to admit his error
In having supported the war in Iraq.
He'd also call out the president
If the leader abused his power
Or acted in ways that he considered
Unseemly. McCain would never cower.
McCain was also quick to forgive.
Note his efforts: for peace to thrive,
He pressed to restore relations with
Vietnam in '95.
"We need to learn the lessons of history,"
McCain declared. He also detested
Hearing the media called the enemy.
When he heard that, he protested.
Although he called himself an "imperfect
Public servant," McCain had style.
Not afraid to compromise,
He reached out to colleagues across the aisle.
The "joyful warrior" and "lion of the Senate"
Lived with dignity and honor, and not
Like some people in power to whom
Such qualities are an afterthought.
John McCain's battles in life
And challenges would never cease
Until he succumbed to a brain tumor.
May he now rest in peace!
Lower the flag to half-staff.
Sing out loudly. Repeat the refrain:
Let us honor the legacy
And life of Senator John McCain.
-by Bob B (8-28-18)
Sing out loudly. Repeat the refrain:
Let us honor the legacy
And life of Senator John McCain.
McCain was the son and grandson of navy
Admirals. In his wild past he
Garnered a nickname from fellow students
Due to his cockiness: McNasty.
Later McCain's cockiness
Transformed into pluck, resolve, and verve.
Following in his father's footsteps,
He, too, decided to serve.
McCain proved that he could succeed
Despite not being at the top of his class.
Though he was fifth from the bottom at the
Academy, he would still pass.
Off to Southeast Asia he went.
On one mission while trying to destroy
A power plant, his plane was shot down
Over the skies of central Hanoi.
Captured, brutally beaten, and tortured,
McCain spent over 2,000 days
At the "Hanoi Hilton"--not what he
Would call in life his happiest phase.
Released in 1973
And broken in body but not in spirit,
He'd serve his country in other ways.
Life gets you down only if you fear it.
Elected to the House in '82
And then to the Senate in '86,
McCain wanted to make a difference
By throwing himself into politics.
In his first run for president,
A smear campaign did him in.
He tried again in 2008,
But again he wasn't meant to win.
A "maverick" they called McCain.
He didn't seek glory, fame, or applause.
Fighting for causes larger than himself
Was truly fighting for a real cause.
Many a politician on both
The right and left would admit to be a fan
Of John McCain. One didn't have to
Agree with him to respect the man.
Not afraid to admit his mistakes,
And though often called a hawk,
McCain came around to admit his error
In having supported the war in Iraq.
He'd also call out the president
If the leader abused his power
Or acted in ways that he considered
Unseemly. McCain would never cower.
McCain was also quick to forgive.
Note his efforts: for peace to thrive,
He pressed to restore relations with
Vietnam in '95.
"We need to learn the lessons of history,"
McCain declared. He also detested
Hearing the media called the enemy.
When he heard that, he protested.
Although he called himself an "imperfect
Public servant," McCain had style.
Not afraid to compromise,
He reached out to colleagues across the aisle.
The "joyful warrior" and "lion of the Senate"
Lived with dignity and honor, and not
Like some people in power to whom
Such qualities are an afterthought.
John McCain's battles in life
And challenges would never cease
Until he succumbed to a brain tumor.
May he now rest in peace!
Lower the flag to half-staff.
Sing out loudly. Repeat the refrain:
Let us honor the legacy
And life of Senator John McCain.
-by Bob B (8-28-18)
