Night Paul Revere Rode

The End of the Ride and the Start of a War

Posted by on Apr 19, 2026 in American History, Night Paul Revere Rode, Poems, Uncategorized | 0 comments

Paul Revere’s ride ended at Lexington, where he was captured by British soldiers. (They let him go later.) Samual Prescott carried the word on to his hometown of Concord while the militia of Lexington gathered on the green at dawn of April 19, 1775, to face the British troops marching their way. The youngest member of that militia was the Johnathan Harrington, the piper.

Give us a song, Jon
they say
and I do

but how can I give them
a spray of notes
a wisp of melody

how can I give them somethings
none of us can hold?

When that dawn breaks
my tunes float out
into the chill gray air,
carrying the captains orders
to every soldier’s ear:

Gather here Stay together Stand fast

and I hope I’ve given them something
all of us can hold

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