I Stand Alone

As with every day before today,
I rise to make my allegiance known.
And as every day, to my dismay,
I see that I stand alone.

My hand lies over my mended heart,
Standing firm, both tall and proud.
As our solemn pledge begins to start,
I stand alone like a daytime shroud.

Like an evergreen tree in the winter cold,
I stand alone, with no one else beside me.
How could we forsake the symbol of glory so old?
Why am I the only patriot one can see?

Do they know of all the fields that were stained red?
Can they count the graves that were made?
Could they fathom the depth of the tears that were shed?
Do they know the price that was paid?
I doubt they realize what had to be paid,
So that glorious flag could hang on our wall.
Ungodly numbers of grave plots were laid,
And yet I stand alone, as if nothing important is happening at all.

An anger burns brightly within me,
Each and every time that I stand alone, like a tree in the sands.
For I have wisdom, and so I see,
The brutal price of freedom that the world demands.

And so, I stand alone, witnessing our greatest fears,
As our solemn pledge of duty draws to a close.
I alone mourn the mountains of bloodstained clothes,
And for my fallen countrymen, I alone shed tears.