From the children's hand-made flags

To the military convoy in a parade

From offerings of food to soldiers in need

To treating the wounds of those brave warriors

Unity is spread by love and selflessness

Patriotism lies in actions, not words

Some books try to do it justice

But this is best explained

Sometimes it's in the simple things we do

From the warm smile to a soldier who has been hurt

To a proud salute as the flag is raised

And the harvest of wheat, gifted to military families

It's in the coming together to survive and heal

To recover from the scars

To rise from the hurt and pain

To find lasting solace in one another

It's simply in loving others, self and country

Not just in doing big and visible acts

But also in the simplest gestures, like singing the anthem

All are intertwined in unity

Author's Note

This poem was written from the perspective of Sarah - a twenty-year old African American woman during World War I.

The theme of patriotism is appropriate in any era. In any country. And especially today in this most challenging of times marked by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Honestly, we probably don't give much thought to patriotism unless a war or some great conflict arises. Yet every single day, countless men and women bravely defend and protect the very freedoms we enjoy and perhaps even take for granted at times.

In the midst of this global pandemic, certainly our patriotism should shine through now.

But one day, when we arrive at a new normal of life, that patriotism should remain just as strong in the ways we feel it ... and in the ways we show it.