Ashley's Glosa

Ashley’s Glosa Poem

Let us honor, if we can,

The vertical man,

Though we value none

But the horizontal one.

--W. H. Auden

Horizontal Man

Sacrifices must be made

to maintain a society

and the lives within it.

Love and pride

are all a man needs

in order to raise his hand.

Strength and will

provide what is necessary

for a man to keep going.

Let us honor, if we can.

The vertical man has much to gain

from giving thanks to those who gave.

He has a family, he has a life,

he has freedoms and many rights.

He is proud to live in such a country

but takes for granted all he has.

He does not know that his quality of life

was a gift that was not easily attained.

He is ignorant of the value of what he has by right,         

The vertical man.

The horizontal man fulfilled his duty,

He did what was necessary, bearing the consequences.

If not for him, we would not be living

the life that we value and find comfort in.

His debt to society is now society’s to bear.

We attempt to repay him with flowers and occasional remembrances.

It is a debt that can be paid, but never in full.

We know that he protected us.

We are told of the freedoms that he gave to us,

Though we value none.

We travel the world freely

and say what we please.

Our values are protected

and our lives are secure.

Yet we never stop to wonder

how we attained the freedom we enjoy

and remember the man who fought for it.

We forget to bow our heads

and look down to thank

The horizontal one.