And This Flag I Have Damned So Longly
And this flag I have damned so longly,
This rag, and nothing more,
While death-mock-racy raved and raved and avenged its bloodthirst
Over and over,
Since the inception of a country, with George and Martha and Mary
With nothing save civility, in drawingrooms and battlefields
Is justified by that gentle face, somehow justified as being no longer a damnation
But the stuff of a citizenry, with that face, and the mulatoo's face, sad, overgrown Abe
and all of his honesty,
How proud I am of the flag I never had,
Of the society I spent decades criminalizing, cursing
And of all the possibilities inherent in Innocence:
That is the face of my President
And this is my tattered flag!
Copyright © Heather Chernen | Year Posted 2009
Post Comments
Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.
Please
Login
to post a comment