Allegiance

"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 can’t recall my first encounter with the pledge.

For as long as I can remember,

The words had been engraved into my brain.

We stood side by side

Placed our hands over our hearts

And stared at a piece of cloth

Stained red, white, and blue.

No matter our age, our upbringings, our cultures

People who lived in this nation were expected

To recite

To memorize

To declare

Their undying loyalty to the flag.

So as I stand here,

With no choice but to obey;

defeated,

I shall pledge allegiance to the flag

(that has failed to shield me from the horrors of gun violence)

And to the Republic

(which was once overthrown by angry mobs)

One Nation under God

(a force of Nature absent during the merciless actions of the police),

And while many of us have been tricked by America’s illusion

Of a country filled with promises protected by white picket fences,

The future generations of this nation haven’t been warned of

The lack of liberty,

And justice for all.