Maybe Daddy's Right

it's windy.
its messing up my hair.
this grass is cold
but its better than the sand
down there
by the water that
might be warm
or maybe you'll get used to it
and then you won't care.

daddy told me to hold this flag
said to do it proud.
confused, its the only thing not
black or brown
in my world-
it sure looks pretty in the wind.
daddy says i don't understand;
i don't think daddy's right.

it's just a piece of cloth to me.
i posed so he'd take a picture of me
told him my hair'd be all messed up
he told me to smile
and so i did.
daddy still says i don't understand;
maybe daddy's right.

i told daddy it'd make a good towel
for when i jumped in the ocean
but he just looked
at me
and tried to set me straight.
i dropped the flag;
he picked it up
and folded it
with more care
than i'd ever seen him take
with any other thing.
daddy sighed like i didn't understand;
now i wonder if daddy's right.

-jm-