The Greatest Of Leaders Poem by Bryan Norton

They fought for a man with a heart made of gold
Who freed all the slaves by the truth that he told
A leader who conquered the world in his way
And brought lasting peace that we honor today

He led with a vision that all should be free
To plan their own future and choose what to be
Where wisdom is virtue and virtue is choice
To cast your own ballot and lift your own voice

For what kind of living is life without joy
Where slave owners keep but they never employ
Or free the poor slave who is sure he can't win
Or run from the pigment that colors his skin

This man and his army who stood with the brave
Were bound and determined to free every slave
Because they still honored the truth they were taught
That all men are born to be free and not bought

They fought with a fierceness that nobody knew
And fighting they fostered a vision that grew
And beckoned the nation by spreading the view
That joining this army was noble to do

For freedom and virtue mean doing things right
When family are gathered to join in the fight
They rise with a righteousness hard to defeat
And raise up the flag with their enemy beat

The greatest of leaders is one you'll agree
Is someone of stature you know you can be
For like the brave soldiers who lived in the past
The future belongs to the ones who stand last.