I pledge allegiance to the flag,

which upon that flag does wave;

I pledge allegiance to the flag

and I do so, come what may.

I pledge it when our leaders fail

and lead us all astray.

I pledge it when our leaders forget

how they’re supposed to behave.

 

It’s mine, you see, that flag up there,

no matter what those leaders do.

It’s mine in good and mine in bad

because it always makes it through.

It always has and always will,

it always has to me been true.

So I to it, I swear this vow,

that they taught me in my youth.

 

They didn’t set down conditions.

They didn’t say, “If this or that”.

They didn’t say, “On certain days”

or whether or not a bill has passed.

They didn’t mention political parties,

but “the republic for which it stands”.

They said, “One nation, under God, indivisible”,

and I took them to mean just that.

***

This piece has nothing to do with the NFL’s controversy this season. In fact, every word of it was written more than a decade. So, why post it now? I do so simply because I have a late night into an early morning, and I work all day tomorrow. Yes, but why it? Why this one? The reason for this one now is that I’m running out of old stuff to post. So, you get this. Hope it does something for you. Be well, people.