SPIRIT OF A NATION
I proudly wave across the land,
a stately emblem in the breeze
A patriotic declaration
of a nation’s liberty
White purity and innocence
Red hardiness and valor
Blue vigilance and justice
are preserved within my colors
Over hallowed halls of knowledge,
of government, of law
I stand watch over principles
to earn my nation’s awe
And like the stars so proudly worn
upon my breast of blue
I transcend the bonds of earth
to stand majestic on the moon
Dauntless onto battlefields
I lead my country’s brave
And with solemn dignity
escort the fallen to their graves
I serve as dressing for the wounds
of injured men and towers
Bestowing hope and solace
in my nation’s darkest hours
When my loyal, revered servants’
last heartbeats come to pass
I join my mourning nation,
flying somberly half mast
Flames of hatred and dissension
may reduce my cloth to ash
Yet with the smoke my liberty
still rises unabashed
My strength lies not in stars or stripes,
in fabric nor in thread
But in the hearts of citizens
who hold my values sacred
For those who would destroy
America’s noble decoration
Will come to find they shan’t destroy
the spirit of a nation
Deborah Whipp, October 25, 2001
