What is the American flag?
A floating chain of signifiers
From light seeking liberty
To pug faced patriotism?
Some say they'd die for
This flag - or rather the ideal
It seemingly represents.
Others have angrily burnt it.
Its colours are revealing:
Red stands for hardiness and valour.
White for purity and innocence.
Blue for vigilance and justice.
Some say its famous stars and stripes
Symbolise imperial glory
But at what expense
To less ‘civilised' nations.
Others suggest that they represent
Unity and freedom from tyranny.
As for me, I prefer Jasper Johns'
Less striking, ghostly, monochrome version.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem