Flag II – Aggression confronts the harsh turn of national symbols when they become walls instead of bridges. In this second instalment of the trilogy, the flag is re-imagined as an instrument of exclusion, a fortress built in cloth, and a call that strains at the bonds of community.
Audio PoemRed, white, and blue,
Or blue, white, and red,
Beneath this flag,
No foreigner shall tread.
Raise the wall, both high and wide,
Seal the tunnel where shadows hide.
Lock the gates, let silence brood—
A fortress built on solitude.
Our banner waves in solemn pride,
A call to stand while hearts divide.
“Love your country,” the leaders cried,
But love grew cold where truth had died.
With lines drawn tight, the borders groan,
A breaking point poster carved in stone.
Fear takes root; control is won,
For the land they swore was pure, undone.
Derelict wards and rights betrayed,
The cost of lies, a price unpaid.
Still, the flag is raised, its colours bright,
To blind the old, abandon the social fight.
Barricades rise, the walls endure,
Tales of glory obscure the poor.
Blood-stained wealth, a kingdom’s pain,
The strain of silence, the bitter refrain.
Wave our flag of cleansed white,
Patriotic blue in the fading light.
And stand bold where the fallen bled,
Our nation’s pride: the aggressive red.
Audio – Flag II (Aggression)
Return to the Beginning of the Poem
Go to the poem: “Flag (Celebration)“
Go to the poem: “Flag III (Provocation)“
Go to the following poem in the collection: “If We Always Won“