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One of two surviving copies of the 1812 broads...Image via Wikipedia



Bombing of Ft. McHenry, Sept. 13, 1814

“But take heart, men, just as your countrymen did! America cannot be frightened into submission! I have here the account of the battle of Baltimore and the glorious defense of Fort McHenry! The nation still stands strong, boys, and will never bow to tyrants! A cheer for the United States of America, and an extra ration of rum tonight for its gallant sailors!”--Sea Change, c. 2009 (unpublished manuscript)


Today's the anniversary of another attack on American soil. This one led to an amateur poet putting pen to paper and writing verses about the "rockets' red glare" that live on, 195 years later.

One could wish it had been set to an easier to sing melody, but so it goes.
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