A few Julys ago

Remember the girl?

She’s in second grade,

Maybe

Blond brown curls

Blue green eyes.

She’s sitting on the top metal pole of the fence

Chipped green paint

Brown underneath

Kicking one leg forward

Then the other.

Red white stripes blue stars

Flutter at her knees.

Remember

That feeling of

I’m one of the big kids now

She was

In her mind

In her red white and blue dress

Sitting on the top pole of the fence.

And then

Then her best friend was there

Whispering

You know

Only people who like him 

Wear that color

Now.

The girl didn’t know

She thought her red and white stripes

With blue stars

Meant freedom and happiness

She thought her country was wonderful

But now she knew.

Remember

When your heart was first broken

That was it

The girl bit her lip.

She told her grandma she was too hot

She hoped her grandma couldn’t tell

She was lying

She changed into shorts

And ran around with her best friend.

The flag dress was twisted

Heaped in the backseat of a red subaru.

She didn’t wear it again

But she remembers

When she could

I remember

When I could.

I hope someday to

Be glad to

Wear the flag again.

And the dress is still twisted

In a red white stripes blue stars heap

In a dark corner

Somewhere.

Remember that dress?