That Dirty Ol' Flag
.
I saw a flag the other day,
lying on the side of the road,
and was going to leave it lay;
but I stopped and put down my load.
The flag was red for the blood they shed.
It was blue for the women who stayed true.
and it was white, though it had to fight;
and it was brown from lying on the ground.
I picked up that crumpled flag
and saw that it was not very old
and that it was no cheap rag.
The rich cloth felt good to hold.
There were rips here and there,
and more than one dirty spot.
But that flag should be in the air.
Too good to toss away, I thought.
It stood for valor and not just might.
And though it wasn't always right,
it stood for people who had tried
to be the ones on honor's side.
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