red, white and blue

red
let liberty’s torch light the sky
on fire, crimson blood touch the horizon.
it is the only color they will see,
dripping among the ashes and
dancing with the flames.
we all share the same sky, you know.

white
flags of surrender fly from their bodies.
their homes have been turned to rubble,
stones cracking beneath their feet
as the ghosts plead with them —
leave, they say, pale and trembling.
hear our screams.

blue
the ocean threatens to swallow them whole.
they disappear into the waves,
skin and bone struggling to stay together
as they sink. they are called unfortunate,
the blood-soaked earth too heavy
to bear the weight of their bodies.
instead, they leave fire to meet ice —
after all,
freedom is only for the living.