Remembering Lady Liberty on Independence Day

There’s a lady in a harbor
I have loved since I was young
and I’m grateful that she holds a torch for me.
She stands tall and, oh so, graceful.
What she stands for won my heart.
May I introduce you to sweet Liberty?

She was there at Ellis Island
when my grandfather arrived
with a dream to take America by storm.
And he blushed to see her beauty
as she whispered of her love
and the purposes for which he had been born.

She remains there for his offspring
to assure us we are free
to pursue the goals that motivate us most.
Lady Liberty is ageless
holding up her lantern high
as if calling on the world to hear her toast.

To the young and to those older,
to the straight and to the gay
this dear woman offers equal rights for all.
It’s the freedom that we cherish
to live out what we believe
even though our critics think it “off the wall.”

Miss America, I love you.
What you guarantee is mine.
Your bright flame lights up the night and darkest day.
But I’ve come to see your freedoms
aren’t intended just for me
for the liberty you stand for cuts both ways.