Poetics for a King

The Pledge

Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance

What for?

What does it mean?

What will my standing say?

I only pledge allegiance to God alone

I don’t have allegiance to any nation

How can a follower of Jesus pledge allegiance to a nation?

I especially find it hard to have allegiance to this nation

So full of…

Inequality

Oppression

Marginalization

BUT

This is my home

I guess freedom is what I believe in enough to pledge allegiance to

I stand for freedom

Which is why

I refuse to stand

Amen

The Playground

Daddy look at the plane

I’m scared

Why?

Planes drop bombs

How do you know that?

You are only 2

I’m scared

To the white clergy of Birmingham:

King asked you to move

What are you doing now?

Why is it still the same?

What have you been doing all these years?

Do you notice the lingering inequality?

Do you notice the segregation?

If you won’t move after hearing word after word from God…

Who will you move for?