Men of Courage by J. Wallace

Throughout history,
At their moment in time,
Arose men of courage,
Of spirit, and mind,

Who spent themselves
In pursuit of the Truth.
A defining character,
Irrefutable proof,

Of an existence greater
Than the sum of our deeds,
The failures of ignorance,
The desperate pleas

Of civilization wronged
By its own petty fears,
An anguished rage,
Wasted years;

Men judged by criteria
Irrational and false,
Not considering the pain,
The injustice, or loss,

Men who died young,
Before they could see
Their battles almost won,
People almost free.

One day we'll realize
How foolish we've been,
To wage senseless wars
No one can win,

And stand before our Father,
Who according to plan,
Created us brothers,
The Family of Man.

(Dedicated to my father and to Dr. Wilson Bradshaw, Dean of Metropolitan University, Minneapolis, Minn.)

An update:
This poem won first place in the literary contest sponsored by a Florida University.