The Legacy of John McCain

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)

Reviews

[Kelly Scheppers]

I respected his dedication to our country and the battle he fought against Cancer. If only such bravery could be rewarded.