An Uncrowned Prince ~ a poem remembering JFK Jr. ~ |
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We lost this
day an uncrowned prince
Taken from us in his prime
As fate did lift him from this earth
Before reaching the age of 39
And with the news reports of
wreckage being sighted upon the sea
Our hearts grew faint and with them our spirits' did speak:
How could this be?
How could it be true?
How could this unspeakable tragedy be happening to you?
Jackie's little John John - a prince from long ago
Born into another land, another place, another time
Born into a family we loved - a home which was frozen in time
Pictures of a little lad picked up by his dad
As they did walk upon the sand together hand in hand
Now it seems that father and son are together once again
For today it's been announced the dreaded reports have been confirmed true
The undreamable, the unthinkable, has happened to you.
Once again with poems and flowers the people do seek
To share in the pain and the tragedy there
Our hearts are so heavy
The load is just too much for one family and nation to bear
How could this happen to the one who had grown up
From that little boy we had come to love and know almost as our own?
Did we not sense the purpose and direction and destiny there?
Did we not hope that in his father's footsteps this little one
Would pick up the torch and continue down the path that his father shared?
Our nation could recapture a happier and more simple time
As once again truth and justice and equality were deemed right,
As once again the paths of men did join to fight
The cause for what was good and right.
Did we not in the back of our spirits and minds
See the leadership and gifting of the father
Along with the grace and beauty of his mother
Dancing within the heart and the eyes of this son
As his life did take shape and design?
As we discovered with dismay
That the lights have gone out in Camelot in such a way
Though the king and queen have long since gone,
In the passing of the son we have laid all our torches down
And Camelot lays dark and empty inside
There is no one stirring as outside we do mourn and cry.
The loss of a President - the loss of a dream
A time where lords and ladies were commonly seen
In the banquet halls and gathering rooms of the leaders of the land
Leading with such grace, beauty and honor
We were so proud to think of them as our king and queen back then.
Never again to walk out under the stars or sail among the waves of the sea
Or climb the tall mountains or cross the lands
Of rich meadows and endless streams
This strong tall one afraid of no man or earthly king
In one brief moment his life was shattered
And in one brief moment ended a country's dream.
The dream of being led as a nation by "a
king" once again
A king of men's hearts, mens lives, hopes and dreams
One who would champion the cause of their children and their wives
One who would care for the downtrodden, and their pains and their plights
A champion of champions; a prince of a king
Loved by a nation, and the world now, too it seems
And the hearts of the world are united this day
Not in a day of rejoicing or in a day of triumph
But a day of sadness and grieving and pain.
This day is a day of mourning as another of earth's royalty to rest is laid
Born in the spirit of Camelot this young man was the seed
Of a hope and a dream of the peoples of the world;
For did they not wish to see her resurrected again
And play a role in the governing of men?
And on this day, as the family does make way for a
burial at sea
That his spirit may find peace out upon the waves
Within our hearts and minds the questions are raised
For within the peoples of the world there is no peace.
"How can it be? "Why, oh why?" they do say;
"Please, God not again; why is it happening this way?"
Into the clouds of Heaven and see what the Angels can hear and see
For standing there inside the pearly gates may be a royal precession
As this treasured prince is now to be welcomed in.
Who has come to welcome this young one?
Who is standing at the Lord's side?
But the leaders of the armies of heaven
As well as family and friends who've gone by
Princess Diana of the Windsor family
And President George of the Washington family tree
And of course President John Fitzgerald and his queen, Jacqueline
All have stood to attention
As John the young prince is escorted in
Walking through Heaven's gates with his beautiful
wife on arm
Comes the young John Jr. - now a prince to live among the stars
And through our own tears and heaviness of heart
It is almost as if we can see him turn and say,
Why do you weep and cry so for the death of one man?
For can you not see to what this so called tragedy has brought me?
For once again I am reunited with my living hero and dad
For being reunited with my father is the greatest dream I ever dreamed
And the greatest gift I've ever had!
This is the one gift that no one on earth could
ever get for me or buy
To have my earthly father back at my side.
I wouldn't give him up now to go back to the earth below
For now that I've finally found him
Earth's life is no longer worth living down below.
And though this day far away
All of the friends and family that we did love and come to know
Have gathered together as the Nation does weep
For the loss of a son - "The Uncrowned Prince of her King & Queen"
And though even now I can see your tears and hear your cries
For the dream of the city lies deep within you
And the hope is a hope everlasting it seems
For in the heart of each young lady and every young man
Is the chance to go forth and conquer
To become those champions of earth again.
Let not your flame and torches forever go out
But bring them now into your own homes and villages
Lighting the pathways of all, driving the days of darkness out
May each one now dip the tip of their torch within the Eternal Flame
And go forth to light the lamps of the world
As new hope is sparked and new flames are birthed this day
But in the spirit of her king may all of the knights go forth now
Go forth now and fulfill their destinies
Let not this day of so called tragedy quench the hope that lies deep inside
The hearts and the minds of the children of earth,
But may the youth of the world now rise
And become those leaders and champions of the right
May the sons and the daughters of the realm continue now to ride
Upon the holy quest so that all of mankind be reached and blessed
With the hope of God, and of love, and of peace for one and all
For one day the Prince of Peace shall come and there will be peace for all.
And
perhaps one day in earth's future our political life will again take shape
For when the Son of God returns to earth,
He may need some help running the place.
And perhaps then we'll be able to lend a hand
In the governing of earth's men as decreed by God's great plan
For once again as the Scriptures do teach and say
We may rule with Him by his side as princes and as kings.
So, let all know on earth down below
I'm only going to be gone a short while it seems
For one day soon, out of the skies of blue
I'll be flying again; upon the backs of white horses you'll see
The Lord Jesus, accompanied by my father, and me.
And with the armies of Heaven he'll reclaim the earth for all time
In a government that can't be out voted or destroyed by wars and bombs
And we'll take our place in the Lord's dynasty
As the name of Kennedy will be forgotten
For we'll serve in the Name of the King of Kings."
And turning his face from the earth below, he turns his attention
To the faces of those he loved and cherished so long ago
And as he hugs them close, it is as if we can hear his thoughts as he thinks,
"At least my mother was spared the pain
That so many on earth are feeling this day
For I can tell that these tears upon her cheeks are not of sorrow and of pain
But of the joy of being reunited once with me again
And perhaps she knows down deep inside as now do I
That had I continued and followed the political path
As was planned and designed
That there may have been another death as with Uncle Bob and my dad
And in dying this way we are spared that kind of heartache once again."
And then he speaks,
"Mom
& Dad, I'm proud for you to meet the one I chose for my wife;
She's not only a queen but close friend and soul-mate of mine;
And with her sister by her side, our bodies upon the earth have died
May you welcome them into your hearts and home as did I
For your son and daughters have come this day
To live with you in your eternal home."
~ a poem written on July 22, 1999 in memory of
John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr.
Copyright © 1999 by Bonnie D. Franklin