Ode to the Flag

Oh Flag, You stand silent sentry in the corner of the classroom A forgotten reminder of the days of old where innocence abounded and your image Was only one of beauty. Sometimes it seems Your crimson stripes no longer drip With the blood of the fallen Your snowy lines of white are no longer pure But are tainted by the terrors of today Your bright stars no longer glimmer with hope But fade and drift apart into the blue vastness Of past liberty. Now, you fly high above the rest Soaring, so gallant You are reduced to a simple flap of fabric Fluttering helplessly in the breeze. Below, beneath the grime, the corruption, and the evil That seems to now conquer all A heart beats The heart of the united, the brave A heart whose beat is for the flag A heart whose beat is now falling silent As silent as you, Collecting dust In the dark corner of the room.