13 STARS... A Free Nation New... 1776... Freedom's Creed

13 STARS... A Free Nation New... 1776...

Freedom's Creed

The ravages of suppression

Known and heard

So from the heart of Freedom

Came each word

Declarations so marked

To portray

That man free of oppression

Be the chosen way

In Freedom’s light

And with Freedom’s call

Dignity of expression

A right granted all

And if with doubt

And query new

A forum open

For a challenged view

Hold these words

As Freedom’s choice

Let not TRUTH be a silenced voice.

Rose Marie Raccioppi

APOGEE Poet

Poet Laureate

Orangetown, New York

Historical Companion to “Freedom’s Creed”

and the Image of Thirteen Red Starfish

The poem “Freedom’s Creed” echoes the foundational spirit of the Declaration of Independence of July 4, 1776. Its lines reflect the grievances, aspirations, and moral clarity that shaped the birth of the United States.

The opening acknowledgment of “the ravages of suppression” parallels the Declaration’s catalog of injustices. The poem’s insistence that freedom speaks “from the heart” mirrors the Enlightenment ideals that guided Jefferson and the Continental Congress.

The accompanying image of thirteen red starfish swept ashore by ocean waters serves as a vivid historical metaphor. Each starfish represents one of the original thirteen colonies, not as distant stars on a flag, but as living forms shaped by natural forces. Their red color evokes resolve and sacrifice. The regenerative nature of starfish symbolizes the ongoing renewal of the American experiment, a nation continually striving toward its founding ideals.

The ocean’s movement reflects the tides of history—economic pressures, political conflicts, and philosophical currents—that carried the colonies toward independence.

The brilliant sun and lambent blue sky evoke the Enlightenment’s illumination, the intellectual dawn that made self-governance possible.

Together, the poem and image form a historical dialogue: a modern reflection on the principles of liberty, expression, and truth that defined 1776 and continue to shape the nation’s identity. YES, be it known, freedom a legacy, a living responsibility.