I Pledge Allegiance

O, let America be America again—

The land that has never been yet—

And yet must be— the land where every man is free. - Langston Hughes

I was surrounded by brown girls and brown boys.

In school, they told us to

sing along to a song

our parents were unfamiliar with.

Eyes wide and curious,

we stared at the colors—

blue, red, white. white. white. white.

We memorized the words,

our tiny palms raised to our chests.

We had no clue what the words meant,

But in unison we sang anyway.

We were supposed to love the stripes and the stars--

blue, red, white. white. white. white.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America,

and to the Republic for which it stands, One nation under God, indivisible,

with liberty and justice

for all--

I am surrounded by fewer brown girls and brown boys.

In school, we do not sing the song anymore.

I still see the colors—

blue, red, white. white. white. white.

If they asked me to sing along to the same song,

I’m sure I would remember the lyrics—

so carefully tucked away in the

spiderwebs of my brain.

But you cannot tell kids to salute a flag that does not

         protect

         them

because when they are 17 they will realize that the

         flag

they are supposed to sing to needs to

         represent them.

But the words remain carved in our minds,

and they cut us every time we remember.

We are still supposed to love the stripes and the stars—

(blue, red, white. white. white. white.)

even if they don’t

         love

us back.