Two hundred and twenty-two years ago today

Five appointed men formed a committee to say

We, the free and independent people of the USA

Hereby declare our independence, and will stay



In this land we've made for ourselves, free of oppression

And with this statement, we'll stamp out further agression

And so, do absolve ourselves of all allegiance to the crown

As representatives sign our names to it, much further down  



On behalf of Virginia, of course - Ben Harrison and Tom Jefferson

George Wythe, Richard and Francis Lee, Braxton and Tom Nelson

Representing Pennsylvania - Franklin, Clymer, Taylor and Morton

Morris, Ben Rush, George Ross and twoJims - Smith and Wilson



For Massachusetts - John Adams, Sam Adams, Gerry and Paine

Just a few of the colonials who, on this day, signed their names

For Maryland - Sam Chase, Paca, Charles Caroll, Tom Stone

A few more who signed just for love of their country, alone



On Connecticut's behalf - Roger Sherman, William Williams 

Two who worked to bring independence with their opinions

Along with Samuel Huntington, and, of course - Oliver Wolcott

But, the first - the folks in this fine state - have never forgot





For New Hampshire - Bartlett, William Whipple and Thornton

New Jersey's Witherspoon, Hart, Clark, Hopkinson, Stockton

From Delaware - Caesar Rodney, George Read and Tom M'Kean

One of the two smallest states, but not at all, in any way, lean



The other, being Rhode Island - led by Hopkins and Bill Ellery

But, by no means, were either - left out of this marked revelry   

For the Carolinas, in the North, it was Hooper, Hewes, Penn

And, in the South - Rutledge, Tom Heyward, Lynch, Middleton



For Georgia - Button Gwinnet, George Walton, Lyman Hall

And then, was New York - the most important state of all

Represented by Philip Livingston and Lewis Morris

And last, but not least - Bill Floyd and Francis Lewis



The drafters - Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin

Aided by John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston

All signed, but for the last - a unique mystery to this very day

Two hundred twenty-two years later - perhaps he'll have his say   



- Tristram



(c) Christopher W. Thomas

7:40pm Independence Day, 1998