This is a re-run from the early days of this blog, but still topical and seasonal. Enjoy!
I pledge allegiance
to this sand and gravel road
that runs between the river and my house,
clumps of California poppies
rangy stalks of fragrant fennel
burgeoning fig trees
that grow wild
on the river bank.
I pledge allegiance
to the rhythm
of the spoken word
to cheap pens and notebooks
that welcome my untamed
first drafts,
subsequent scribbles
and finally the respectability
of punctuation.
I pledge allegiance
to wild dreams
and imaginings,
the strength of the human heart
and the power of universal mystery.
Happy 4thof July!
What do you pledge allegiance to?
Lovely Nancy. Inspires my day.
Thanks, Linda! Happy 4th!
I pledge allegiance to all the landscapes that ever sheltered me or called me with their views, critters, treats–Round Top, Sierra Nevada granite mountains, foothills covered in manzanita and mountain misery and blackberry, gooseberry, elderberry bushes, and snow and scree; Oregon Cascade mosquito swarms, elusive picas, marmots, and scary three Fools Peak; Gerresheim Germany and its Hexenstein, lebkuchen, brotchen, schnecke mit rosinen, St. Martin’s Day; Billy the dachshund–and to all those who have blessed me with their love, friendship, and loyalty over the years.
It is unfashionable to be nationalistic, but I am grateful to live in a country that allows us all a voice, the right to protest, to be informed,
Lovely poem, Nancy. Thanks for sharing it.
Beautiful!! Thanks for sharing!