THE UNITED STATES FLAG CODE
Title 4, Chapter 1
§ 8(a)The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.
I mean no disrespect.
I love my country
with all its faults
(and there are many).
But I think we’re there:
“dire distress…danger to life or property.”
I see it already:
the end of civility.
I see it coming:
the end of democracy.
Are my nightmares prescient?
No zombies, no aliens.
Just us, and a nation in ruins.
Seeds of destruction
are planted each day
by our home-grown despot.
Shamelessly,
on the global stage
for all to witness.
We collectively gasp
in stunned disbelief.
Who will come to our rescue?
Hello? Any one out there?
In the past, our country
has looked to its PRESIDENT
in times of crisis.
But what to do, where to turn,
how to signal a cry for help,
when our leader IS the crisis?
We have checks and balances
that have served for centuries,
but the executive branch?
Clearly compromised.
The legislative branch?
Complicit and crippled.
The judicial branch?
Could easily be next.
The Fourth Estate
continues its work,
lighting the foul darkness
while defending itself
against cries of “Fake News!”
They are
our last line of defense.
What do you know of
recent Russian history?
Those who ignore it are…
yeah, exactly. Doomed.
They changed their flag:
Three stripes
White, blue red.
The colors of theirs
may be the same as ours,
but don’t be fooled.
Even right-side up,
it bears no resemblance
to The Stars & Stripes.
"A NEW NORMAL" by Celenia Delsol (c) 2022 
Such a succinct and powerful articulation of the truth of our current crisis – thank you Celenia!
Xxoo C
Cynthia Leslie-Bole
925-451-9317 lesliebole@att.net http://www.cynthialesliebole.com
Sent from iPhone
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Thank you Leslie!! It’s been so difficult to put pen to paper lately. I don’t consider myself a political blogger AT ALL, but I’m definitely a concerned citizen, and the news is alarming and in many ways overwhelming. I want to write about OTHER things…I keep thinking about a book I want to do on re-engaging with life after traumatic loss…but I don’t seem to be able to get started. I’m going to be leading a Writing Circle at the Contra Costa Crisis Center starting this fall and am doing the AWA certification program in Chicago at the end of the summer, so I know I’ll eventually get back to writing about other matters that matter to me, but the past few days, especially, have been shocking. I couldn’t let recent events go by without saying SOMEthing. I love getting feedback from you, someone I consider to be a much more skilled and eloquent poet. I really appreciate your kind words.
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Gracias, Celenia. Your words somehow managed to describe the shame I feel for this country, its history, and this horrific nightmare we are all in.
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Hopefully, by next year at this time (July 4, 2021), we will have more to celebrate.
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