Purple Shield

Now I lay me down to sleep—
My life and limb may Hoover keep,
And may no Coast Guard cutter shell
This little home I love so well.
May no dry agent, shooting wild,
Molest mine wife and infant child,
Or searching out some secret still,
Bombard my home to maim and kill.
When dawn succeeds the gleaming stars,
May we devoid of wounds and scars,
Give thanks we didn’t fall before
The shots in Prohibition’s War. — Arthur Lippman (The Patriot’s Prayer)