The Flag Above
Red, white and blue she flies,
Edging away from her tethers,
Demanding we stand and salute.
Where the flag pole stood
High in front of the Post Office,
I saw a young girl carrying
Three red roses, pause at it's base.
Earnestly she knelt as though to pray.
Baffled I edged closer.
"Lord help the flag watch over my daddy."
Under my breath I said"amen."
Emotional, I turned away,
as she left the roses.
I contemplated God,
roses, flags, love, and service.
May God watch and protect
all who march under His banner.
--------------
New Flags
"Hold it there kids."
In South Berwick,
They are learning
to respect the flag
in a whole new way.
Pulling and pulling
with all their might,
Central School students,
hoisted the American flag
to the top of the flagpole.
"At the end of the day
make sure you fold it right.
Don't let it touch the ground.
Hold on tight!"
Fire burned classrooms up,
but didn't make the building fall down.
Thank God for the love and support
of a town that rallied around.
The VFW brought flags for every room,
and a new pole and banner
for the front of the school.
Now they hoist Old Glory every day.
In South Berwick,
They are posing with pride
in front of a flag
that fire and disaster
couldn't burn away.
"Smile big kids!"
---------------------
This Old Flag
I know my flag is ragged and worn,
but I folded her up nice and neat,
thinking of all the pain she's borne,
in freezing winds and summer heat.
At Shiloh she stumbled in fields of corn,
at Gettysburg again nearly beat,
but we stood her back up so tall,
and again pledged to protect her all.
This Civil War wasn't her first test,
a hundred years earlier she flew,
showed the Union Jack who was best,
when our country was brand new.
At Valley Forge, men ragged dressed
starved and froze for her colors true.
When spring warmth finally came
"We are ready!"they did proclaim.
In the dark years of 1960's and 1970's,
we fought in that land called Vietnam.
Our cherished banner went across the seas.
She stood amid bullets, bombs, napalm,
and agent orange that stripped the trees.
She shivered as the B-52's continued to bomb.
Along came protesters one summer night.
I cried as our sacred flag burned bright.
She is singed around the edges and aged,
and truly deserves a rest so well earned.
But when you talk her down I get enraged,
and speak to her the words well learned;
"and for which she stands..."I am engaged,
and become infuriated when she is spurned.
Let's pledge to guard old glory even into hell
and help her come through the current crisis well.
---------------
American Flag
I put on my uniform, said a prayer, wiped away a tear and hoisted my American flag. Watching the colored banner, freedom's symbol snap in the breeze, I saluted with tears streaming down my face. Young and brave, and dirty, scarred and scared firemen hoist their American flag amid melted and twisted steel and death and tears. Day and night, no matter the weather I will fly our American flag. I know it's right to feel this way tears upon my face, as I salute, all the dead and injured and innocence lost who should never have borne this cost.
Comments