Benjamin Franklin. Poem by Tor Magnor Solvang

Two hundred thirty-six years gone,
A great man's life drew to its dawn.
In Philly's bed, at eighty-four,
He breathed his last, and was no more.

A candle-maker's boy, so small,
He left it all, to give his all.
A printer's ink upon his hand,
A mind that roamed across the land.

He caught the lightning, warmed the cold,
New ways to see, stories told.
To France he went, a plea to make,
For freedom's cause, America's sake.

He signed the papers, brave and bold,
A nation's story to unfold.
From Boston's streets to world renown,
A legacy that still comes down.

Twenty thousand, hearts aflame,
To say goodbye, and speak his name.
France wept for him, a mournful sigh,
Benjamin Franklin, wise and high.

He asked for freedom, end of chains,
A better world, for all remains.
A life of wonder, work, and grace,
Remembered still, in time and space.