Hail, Columbia! by Joseph Hopkinson

Hail Columbia, happy land!
Hail, ye heroes, heav’n-born band,
Who fought and bled in freedom’s cause,
Who fought and bled in freedom’s cause,
And when the storm of war was gone
Enjoy’d the peace your valor won.
Let independence be our boast,
Ever mindful what it cost;
Ever grateful for the prize,
Let its altar reach the skies.

Chorus
Firm, united let us be,
Rallying round our liberty,
As a band of brothers joined,
Peace and safety we shall find.

Immortal patriots, rise once more,
Defend your rights, defend your shore!
Let no rude foe, with impious hand,
Let no rude foe, with impious hand,
Invade the shrine where sacred lies
Of toil and blood, the well-earned prize,
While off’ring peace, sincere and just,
In Heaven’s we place a manly trust,
That truth and justice will prevail,
And every scheme of bondage fail.

Chorus
Firm, united let us be,
Rallying round our liberty,
As a band of brothers joined,
Peace and safety we shall find.

Behold the chief who now commands,
Once more to serve his country stands.
The rock on which the storm will break,
The rock on which the storm will break,
But armed in virtue, firm, and true,
His hopes are fixed on Heav’n and you.
When hope was sinking in dismay,
When glooms obscured Columbia’s day,
His steady mind, from changes free,
Resolved on death or liberty.

Chorus
Firm, united let us be,
Rallying round our liberty,
As a band of brothers joined,
Peace and safety we shall find.

Sound, sound the trump of fame,
Let Washington’s great fame
Ring through the world with loud applause,
Ring through the world with loud applause,
Let ev’ry clime to freedom dear,
Listen with a joyful ear,
With equal skill, with God-like pow’r
He governs in the fearful hour
Of horrid war, or guides with ease
The happier time of honest peace.

Chorus
Firm, united let us be,
Rallying round our liberty,
As a band of brothers joined,
Peace and safety we shall find.

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instrumental version (2:15) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU1reLFj_CY

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Hooray For Pecos Bill by Dennis Lange

    Hooray For Pecos Bill

If Pecos Bill were jest around,
He’d fix our problems here
In Texas (other countries too),
Whut’s drier than a tear. 

He’d spy a storm out in the Gulf
On track for Alabam,
And think of Texas deep in drought,
And get us outta jam. 

He’d ride out past the Piney Woods
And cross the Mississip
And never give a second thought
To sich a tiny trip. 

He’d twirl his lasso at the storm
Creatin’ sich a wind,
The folks nearby would surely faint –
Think world had come to end. 

And then he’d toss his mighty loop
Around that hurrycane
And cinch it to his saddle’s horn
And pull ‘er like Great Dane. 

And then when she wuz stretched across
Tired Texas like a sheet,
He’d turn ‘er loose to ear a gate
Till drought was in retreat. 

With that job done, Bill’d rest a spell,
Lie back and rope the moon
To tie it down in front of sun
So he could sleep till noon. 

‘Cause then, we know, he’d go out east
To messed up Washington.
And when he does, I wouldn’t want
To be a pol’tician.

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© Dennis Lange and thebardonthehill.wordpress.com, 2013.

 

 

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Three Miscellaneous Haiku by Dennis Lange

 

When You Can’t Take Any More

Just confess.
Which one of you is
The last straw?

——————–

 

One’s Tanning Right Now!

Special tan.
It’s how they became
Blue Man Group

——————–

 

Mt. St. Helens

There she sleeps,
Under snow blanket –
A killer.

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Can’t Take Any More – photo by Marja Flick-Buijs at
http://www.rgbstock.com/photo/mhzihR0/Straws

Tanning – photo by John Boyer at http://www.rgbstock.com/photo/ml1eLQE/Swim+N+Tan

Mt. St. Helens – photo by Martyn E. Jones at http://www.rgbstock.com/photo/mirRsSO/Mount+St+Helens

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* The haiku I write are lines of 3-5-3 syllables instead of 5-7-5.

See Haiku article here for explanation, if needed: https://thebardonthehill.wordpress.com/2011/08/08/haiku/

——————–

© Dennis Lange and thebardonthehill.wordpress.com, 2013.

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