Pledge

“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America . . . ”

that was his by birthright

by practise

by memory

by rote

enforced by childhood in school  and preceding

                                                                            “ . . under God . . ”

when God was jimmied in  jerry-rigged

                                                              it didnt come out of his mouth at morning recital 

before instruction began                                                                                            

standing beside his desk                                                                                             

turned to face the flag                                                                                                      

his hand upon his heart

he was secular before he knew what secular was

he knew God belonged in Church                                                                                                  

and this was school                                                                                                          

if you wanted to pray to God                                                                                               

go to Church                                                                                                                       

besides  what God would settle for a pledge

therefore                                                                                                               

steadfastly                                                                                                                        

he remained true and loyal to the Way he was taught

apparently  -  obscenely  -   according to a succession of teachers  -  he refused to budge

it seemed to him an arithmetic equation  as simple as 1+1=2

“under God” would weight one side of the equation and throw it out of kilter               

and from the front pages of the newspapers he delivered on his route he was already 

gathering America was doing and not doing things he believed it shouldnt have or 

should have done

America was not representative of him                                                                          

and as he grew older it only grew worse

YES!                                                                                                                           

America seemed better than almost every other country in the World                       

although he had never lived anywhere else

YET                                                                                                                                            
he believed it could be far better than it was . . .

                                                                       and if someone asked him his opinion
he had a simple reply:

                                      “Lose God”

1544,  Thursday,  10  4. 14