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)

Miracles, Spiritual and Blessings
What do they have in common?
Simply speaking, encouragement with a talk with the Lord in overcoming a Health battle
Heaven holds the key
It’s the amazement for all to see
Health issues Doctors really don’t understand
A call to jesus is in demand
A dial up being prayer
Now let’s continue on from here
Senator John McCain has been diagnosed with Brain Cancer
Father in Heaven look on Senator John McCain
He needs a healing, but if it is your will
Doctors can on rely on a medicine pill
But Jesus you are truly the one that can fulfill
Please heal Senator McCain from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet
Encourage his family to look up
Lord, you are in control and for the family to not get fed up
I am a witness to what you can do
I had health issues at birth
Yet Doctors finalized that I would be leaving this Earth
Death and nothing but Death on the Doctor’s lips
But the Lord had other plans and living being an extended life
The Doctors said I will only live to the age of 7
Witness God’s miracle for all and Senator McCain, I am 60 years old and still living under Heaven’s breathing oxygen
Senator McCain never lose sight
This is only a temporary spite
Healing power coming from above
Blessings that come down below
Senator McCain, please take it slow
Of course be careful and patient as you go
Lord, give Senator McCain my praying hand
Let it reach him like a caravan
This I pray
Connection my relay
Amen on this day.

The president gazed out the White House window.
Squinting to see through the mist and rain,
He gasped as he made out the faint outline
Of the USS John S. McCain.

His pallid face froze in a grimace.
Turning, he said, “That just can’t be.
It has to be an apparition.
How could the ship be here in D.C.?”

Consulting his television set,
He let out a scream of utter disdain.
The image was on his TV screen:
The USS John S. McCain.

Dashing around the Oval Office
Like a madman, completely deranged,
He called his advisers, blathering madly,
"The name of that ship has to be changed!"

Off to Asia the president flew.
As he took in the view from his plane,
Down below him his eyes fell upon
The USS John S. McCain.

"Why…why…must he torment me?"
He asked his wife in a fit of despair.
He bit his lip with so much force,
The blood gushed out, causing a scare.

"Give me a towel!" he yelled. He held it
Up to his lip, which was throbbing in pain.
Moments later the blood left an image:
The USS John S. McCain.

Members of the president's team
Rushed to find places to hide.
Contradicting the angry boss
Would be political suicide.

The president, loving to bully others,
Finds his impulses hard to restrain.
May he be haunted forever and ever
By the USS John S. McCain.

-by Bob B (6-10-19)