Our Flag

I woke from a brief but particularly vivid dream late last night.  In the dream, I found myself sitting in a balcony seat high within a crowded theater.  On the stage floor below, a man dressed in a dark suit stood before a screen, speaking.  He would name a country and then say: “And this is their flag.”

Each time he did this, a flag comprised of simple blocks or stripes of color appeared on the screen.

“These are boring flags,” the speaker concluded after showing several flags.  “All of them.”

Here is our flag!” he bellowed.  With this said, the stars and stripes exploded into view on the screen.  “Our flag is joyous.  Our flag is a celebration.”

I suddenly fluttered awake.  Though now faced with darkness, the image of the U.S. flag remained imprinted within me.

—Mitchell Hegman