Inspired by her first Old North Lantern Ceremony on the eve of Patriot’s Day, Lillian Hallberg wrote this poem.
Celebrating 241 Years
O ye daughters and sons of liberty,
these stairs do creak
neath the weight of history’s tale.
Paul Revere didst wait that eve
to see the revolution’s wick,
waving light from Old North’s spire.
Two lanterns carried high
two horsemen urged on with alarm,
signals all to freedom’s dreams.
Gather ye now and every year,
honor patriots of battles past
and those who hero now.
Raising voices strong
in songs of country’s pride,
our enduring land of liberty.
Read more about Lillian’s poem on her website, Lillian the Home Poet.
Speaking of which, our nation’s most famous poem, Paul Revere’s Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is an annual highlight at the Lantern Ceremony. This year’s reading was by Giselle Sterling, Commissioner of Veterans’ Services for the City of Boston, and appears in the below video at 13:40.
