The Metal Flag (Sestina)

Mon, 05/27/2013 - 21:48 -- Vicalin

Above the village flew the colors on the flag -
yellow, red, and black - and he wore them proudly here.
The young, bright face of Uganda,
with family to forever defend,
but with the curiosity of any other boy
in hearing of a sun that shines like metal.

One day it gleamed down a thousand flashes of metal
and flames consumed the village's flag.
But they gave new colors for the boy
to wear, and a place to say My home is now here,
with a special gift for him - since he was a big boy now - to defend
the Family of Uganda.

He could almost call himself a man of Uganda
as he was taught to flicker rays of metal
with that gift slung over his back. They led him - the newest boy - to defend
the Family's traveling flag.
They gave him the roads, the lands, the whole world here,
and he could provide it to others now that he was their boy.

He helped take on a little village boy
deprived by the enemies of Uganda,
showing him how great it was to live as a man here
and see the wonders of metal
light and tides of fire simmer the flag
and its values with it, as it was too weak to self-defend.

But when the little village boy refused to defend,
the privilege went to him - the newest boy -
as a moment in the sun to display the colors of the Family's flag
upon his back. Any boy who refused to defend was a betrayer of Uganda.
They shot the little village boy with metal
eyes and watched the newest one grow a few inches taller that day. He knew his place was here.

And he never wore yellow, red, or black again because he was better, brighter here,
and forever kept the Family values to defend.
Wherever he went, he shook the earth, sounding metal
thunder from underneath the sun. He saved boy after boy,
and to the rest he had them wrap each other's bodies in their corrupt Uganda
flag.

And here will forever stand that grown-up boy,
to defend the Family of Uganda,
as he proudly waves the metal flag.

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