the watchman

Waiting in my bed at night, long after Sissy was asleep, I would open up the curtains and lay on my belly while looking at the flag that graced this tower. A beam of light was shinning straight on and the wind gave it an undulating rhythm. The hour was late, yet many perfect squares remained lit regardless that the sun had set long ago. I thought of my weary body that ached all over wanting to find solace in sleep, but some of those perfect squares in my mind were still lit, not yet ready to call it a day.

Such a big city spread out wide around this massive cove that inhabited so many different kinds of people and such a small flag of three simple colors raised up high like a watchman guarding the territory. I began to feel lonely laying next to this big tower, the wide ocean full of ports and then miles and miles of deep salt water. The many streets that made up this giant city with houses in every nook and cranny, roofs covering the rich and poor alike. And that same flag quietly waved a lullaby of freedom and liberty for all.

One by one another small perfect square doused its light and my eyelids started getting heavy. I felt weak in body, but said a very deliberate prayer over that mass of land with all its inhabitants. Who am I but one voice against these skyscraper's, huge ships and well dressed people that are solving problems in some office with their own perfect square of light? I hung my head feeling that I am just one, just one of me. And as I reached for the curtains, one on each side with my body making the sudden sign of a cross, the light at the top of tower actually looked a little brighter, as all the perfect square windows were slowly darkening. "In God We Trust" I whispered to the city, "In God We Put Our Trust."