Lexington and Concord

LEXINGTON & CONCORD: A SHOT HEARD ROUND THE WORLD

Said the King to New England: “You are forbidden to trade,

As your ports will now face my naval blockade,

You must next house my soldiers and not meet as you please,

Call them Acts Intolerable, but they are my decrees!”

And these bad tidings from Boston sounded alarms

In every hamlet and square that might too suffer harms.

So to Philadelphia town went the grave men of state

To discuss and decide on the colonies’ fate.

While farmers and merchants, gruff woodsmen and more,

All kept their guns ready to fly out the door.

They’d grab their long muskets and fill them with shot

And in a minute or so they’d be there on the spot.

While in towns all around, the people were reading

Thomas Paine’s little book, which was ardently pleading

To make a clean break, and not straddle the fence,

We’re Americans now. . . and that’s just Common Sense!

Indeed, sparks were flying in the fiery breath

Of those who cried out, “Give me liberty or give me death!”

While in the coves of New England matters grew dire

On a dark April night that would lead to gunfire.

As two lamps were shown in Boston’s Old North Church

To alert Paul Revere that the British would march.

And so swiftly Paul rode through the dark country fields

To call for the fighters who would not show their heels.

The message went out to every village and farm:

To defend their freedoms, ‘twas the time to bear arms!

And when the redcoats appeared by the cold light of day,

The minutemen stood waiting to stand in their way.

And from Lexington town to the town of Concord

The battle took place that would startle the world.

A fateful shot was fired, by who knows who,

And a bitter struggle began, and a revolution too!