4th of July

two flags
three houses apart
same wind
one flaps
the other lies dead
against its pole

i don’t think
it means anything more than
what looks like a steady wind
that should blow all flags the same way
sometimes isn’t

i’ve never spoken
to the neighbors
who own these flags

i’m buying a flag myself
tomorrow
two flags in fact
one old glory
one with a peace sign

i’ll hang them
on the same pole
and see what happens
see how each of them moves

the dead flag just snapped out straight
as if it has something to prove