By the Dawn's Early Light

As the dawn conquers the night
I set a pile of paper and rags alight
by the dawn’s early light

A closing of the ranks,
A circling of the wagons,
I’m in the outer darkness,
I’m lurking in the blanks,
that no one bothered to fill in

All I can do is witness
the flags going up everywhere,
Even newspaper cutouts
taped to windows

And somewhere out there’s
me, lurking in the shadows

All those flags are such a drag,
I steal those flags, patriotic swag
that I drag in bags to a park,
to dispose of in the dark
by making light of them all

But that proves to be
my downfall
This park’s not secluded enough,
Those Parks Police sure are rough,
Doing time sure is tough,
for setting stolen flags alight
by the dawn’s early light

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