Brooklyn’s Twilight
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Author's Note:
This contest entry was inspired by the dramatic events of the Battle of Long Island, a pivotal moment during the American Revolution. I aimed to capture the tension, loss, and unexpected hope experienced by those who fought—even as defeat loomed—while honoring heroes like Nathan Hale and the enduring spirit of freedom.
Listen to poem:
(Time/event: The Battle of Long Island, August 27, 1776 / In the voice of: Private Ezekiel Turner, Continental Soldier)
The smoke of gunfire paints the twilight red,
As British boots echo o'er burning streets;
Our General, steadfast as the North Star, led
The ragged souls in flight from cruel defeats.
I lingered by the rear, ensuring all were borne
From crumbling walls and fires that fiercely roared—
Each step a prayer that none be left forlorn,
While destiny writ harsh fate upon our board.
Whispers reached my ear of Nathan Hale,
A patriot brave, captured in valor’s hold,
His final words, like distant church bell’s knell,
Rang out a promise: his sacrifice untold.
Though Long Island now lies under foe’s command,
And New York's shores wear tyranny’s dark chain,
In our retreat a miracle did stand—
A hope reborn through loss, amid the pain.
I weep for fallen friends beneath the sky,
Yet march, resolved, ‘til freedom doth arise.
—Ezekiel Turner
Copyright © Joel Hawksley | Year Posted 2025
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