The Patriot

by Maria Armoudian / December 1st, 2024

I hung a tattered flag,
For love of country,
Once free? once brave?

I hung a tattered flag
Hoisted high, its remains,
Frayed liberty, torn justice
Crumpled fabric,
Shreds dangling in wind

I hung a tattered flag
High above my head
To pledge allegiance to what was left,
Ragged rights,
Battered truths,
Once held self-evident

I hung a dirty flag
For soiled image of country,
Faded stars,
Hanging by threads

I hung a tattered flag
To gather remnants,
Mend splintered republic,
Nourish starved people,
Hungry for substance, fed hollow words,
Revive justice,
Restore faith,
Re-constitute
One Nation, for which we stand

Maria Armoudian is co-Executive Director|Ng? Ara Whet?|UoA Centre of Climate, Biodiversity and Society & Senior Lecturer, Politics & International Relations, University of Auckland. Her books are Lawyers Beyond Borders: Advancing International Human Rights through Local Laws and Courts, Kill the Messenger: The Media’s Role in the Fate of the World, and Reporting from the Danger Zone: Frontline Journalists, Their Jobs and an Increasingly Perilous Future. Read other articles by Maria.

This article was posted on Sunday, December 1st, 2024 at 8:00am and is filed under Poetry.