Yesterday we buried a police officer in my town. Durring the service two poems were read. I would like to find them if possible. The first is "The Blue Rose" about a fallen police officer. And the second is "The Policeman's Last Roll Call" I would like to know the author and where I can locate these. If you can help me out I'd be very greatfull.Thanks

China, Anthony Corrente may be able to help you. You can find his e-mail address by typing in his name on a User Submitted Poetry forum search.

Les

maybe this one ?

The Blue Rose

A blue rose poked its head above
A ground so hard and cold,
A youthful flower in a world
That had grown weary and old.

It tried to spread its petals wide
It wanted just to grow,
Within a patch of thorns it sought
For its life to unfold.

The thorn patch tried to stop the rose
It wanted just to choke,
Yet still the rose kept growing
Its spirit refusing to be broke.

The other roses wondered
What kind of rose was this?
These strong, unyielding petals
With blue their color kissed.

The rose opened those petals
And with a smile it said,
I am a policeman's rose
That's why I am not red.

I am blue for the policeman
That have given up their lives,
Within the line of duty
Though tears were in their eyes.

You see, they had to leave
Their children and their wives,
To go out and patrol the streets
To save other people's lives.

The other roses bowed their heads
The thorns, they moved away,
For they saw Jesus coming down
To pluck this rose away.

And even though they wondered
How this rose possessed so much love,
They knew it would now be growing
In Heaven up above.

this one ?

A Policeman's Last Roll Call

The Policeman stood and faced his God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.

"Step forward now, policeman.
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To my church have you been true?"

The policeman squared his shoulders
and said, "No Lord, I guess I ain't.
Because those who carry badges
can't always be a saint."

"I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough ...
And sometimes I've been violent
because the streets are awful tough."

"But I never took a penny,
that wasn't mine to keep ...
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep."

"And I never passed a cry for help,
though at times, I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I wept unmanly tears."

"I know I don't deserve a place
among the people here.
They never wanted me around
except to calm their fear."

"If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't ... I'll understand."

Looks like the poems are FOUND already.

I was going to say that the organizers of the memorial service will probably be getting a lot of inquiries, so they'll have copies ready and you can ask them.