President Ronald Reagan
Fortieth President (1981-1989)

A Message From The Gipper

Fellow Americans,

The long journey now has ended,
Yes, the Lord has called me home.
But my dear beloved Nancy,
You will never be alone.

For I will walk beside you,
The way you walked with me.
You will feel my presence with you,
Just the way it used to be.

For all the things that broke your heart
As you watched my memory fade,
God fixed, in but a moment,
Kept the promises He made:

That in Heaven, "Old is New,"
"Sick are well forevermore,"
"Failing minds and tiring bodies,"
"Are made whole, I will restore."

The road we traveled hand in hand,
Took a long and painful bend,
We had no way of knowing,
When this trip would finally end.

I know the days were lonely,
As you sat quiet by my side,
This journey to an unknown land,
Truly was, "A Long Good-by."

America, I thank you,

For the great stage that you gave me,
To enjoy life's awesome ride,
Where the World became my audience,
With Nancy at my side.

I auditioned for The President,
Got the part answered the call.
It was my finest hour on stage,
The greatest, "Gig," of all.

I had some, not so funny lines,
The most impressive I recall,
Were those four words to Gorbachev,
"Tear down this wall."

Keep your faith in God, America,
Keep standing, straight and strong.
As I told you in my last, "Farewell,"
"There will be a brighter dawn."

As the world takes pause to ponder,
Midst turmoil and unrest,
The Director's cast is being filled,
He chooses just the best.

Here on God's great set in Heaven,
I can hear the angels sing,
That great old hymn, "Amazing Grace,"
The final scene will soon begin.

As I watched the credits rolling,
At the ending of the film,
I saw again how truly blessed,
My life on Earth had been.

I see green pastures in the distance,
And my horse is waiting there,
With a golden saddle shining,
And my favorite hat to wear.

Poem Copyright© 2004 Fran Maiers
All rights reserved.
June 6, 2004
Used with Permission

For permission to use this poem,
please contact Ms. Maiers at
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Fran Maiers is Executive Director/Founder of
Amie’s Muttsy Mission for Alzheimer’s

Copyright © 2004
By David G. Bancroft

Saluting The Gipper

He earned fame as a movie star
and then transformed a nation with a positive vision,
leading us to a new high by raising the bar
with his determination and more than one brave decision.

He drew the line against oppression and tyranny,
standing tall and bold in front of many
demanding the tearing down of the Soviet's wall
that resulted in the cold war thaw.

His gift to communicate as a friend
made it easy for us to accept
that his reasons given were not pretend
and his promises would be kept.

He made no excuses for who he was,
being himself whether in Air Force One or on his horse.
He remained resolute regardless the political buzz,
and won many to his inspiring course.

Ronald Reagan's legacy will endure,
as a caring man and great President for sure.
And honoring him every June 5,
is most fitting to keep our memory of the Gipper alive!

By David G. Bancroft
Copyright © 2004
All Rights Reserved

David Bancroft is
Owner/Founder of
USA Patriotism!