Fools with Flags

With the UN summit going on right now in New York, this particular poem brings me back to a criticism of nationalism. As you can guess from the title, I’m not a fan of the narrow-minded way of thought. As always, I welcome your thoughts (especially those in opposition!) and invite you to leave your thoughts in the comments below!

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While I myself don’t believe
The book of prophecies
I will admit that I support
One set of theses.

A world united in banner
In tongue and in nation
May build towers to heaven
Babel’s great elevation.

Is that not enough?
The promise of reaching divine
Or is it better to draw lines
In the sand and to whine?

Our flags seek to unite us
But instead what they do
Is sunder our race
And the make great many, few.

They are whole fabrication
Simply cloth wrapped in tale
To alienate one another
Ignore our sibling’s sad wail.

These drapes of division
Come with myth and belief
An escape from each other
A false sense of relief.

And these spinners of cloth
Who make webs of these lies
They’ll send us to war
Where our humanity dies.

We have lessened our violence
On a historical scope
But that trend all alone
Is not reason for hope.

For we are the crafters
Of our own destiny
So we must fight for a world
Of just harmony.

And such time, when it comes
When fools with flags say goodbye
I’ll place that first brick
Of the tower reaching for sky.