Juliet

If you were asked to pick a flag
To signal out the thought you had
To other members of the fleet,
What flag would fly here on the street?

A book I read said, “Bravo” flew –
“Munitions” – “Hey there, other crew,
Don’t mess with us or Halifax
Explodes again for being lax”.

So, knowing nothing of these flags,
I Googled them – a set of rags
For alphabet, and numbers too,
“Repeating” flags – one set will do.

On first and last trip out to sea,
They “dress the ship” – well, glory be!
They fly them all from surf to surf
To highest point – a square comes first.

Because the squares are two to one,
They’re flown like that out in the sun
From eight AM to evening time;
They’re hung like washing on the line.

When dressing ship a sequence bright
Looks best, but no such thing as “right”
Dictates the sequence of them all,
For little ships or very tall.

AB2 starts the sequence best,
UJ1 follows, then the rest
Along the line – “Repeater Two”
Brings up the rear for look that’s cool.

For me, the best part of the plan
Lies in their meanings – here on land
I think we need them – let folks know
Our inward state – by flags we show.

Take “Foxtrot” (F, a square of white
With diamond red set inside right
From edge to edge) “Disabled – please
Communicate”, kind sir, with me.

Now wouldn’t that help out each day,
As busy folks press on their way:
“Hey buddy can I lend a hand?
I see you’re stuck – I understand”.

Or “Y” the “Yankee” set of stripes,
Diagonal – low left, high right,
Of yellow, red, in alternate
For me it’s meaning is so great –

“My anchor drags” – there’s Monday’s flag –
“I’m still asleep, my motive sags;
Though moving fast should be my state,
Right now I’m only half awake.”

Or “X-ray” – “X” for moms of teens –
Blue Cross on white – here’s what it means:
“Intentions do not carry out!
Stop – for my signals look about”.

“Affirmative” could let us know
(As “negative” for folks whose “no”
Depicts their sorry view of life),
“Hey come with me to day from night!”

I love the “J” for “Juliet”
A square of white – the best one yet,
With bars on top and bottom blue;
Here’s what the flag would mean to you –

“On fire I am”, Wahoo! Indeed!
But that’s not all, not all it means:
“Inside my hold a cargo lies,
Of danger” – right before your eyes –

Christ’s Spirit in my heart’s the cause
Of Juliet – for once, a “pause”
Spoke to my heart – “Not quite, friend Stu,
But ‘Go’ – I’ll show you what to do.”

And show He did, indeed, and now
My heart’s on fire – someday, somehow
This load of cargo in my hold
Will in some Jubilee explode –

For that’s what Spirit does through me –
Explodes – thus sets each prisoner free –
Christ lives His life, His way, in me –
Wrought out? Isaiah fifty-three.

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