Pledge of Allegiance

photo by Brad Peacock

Pledge of Allegiance

I pledge allegiance to the drop

of snowmelt balanced on the petals

of a dandelion, and to the bead

of weak sunlight held in its center

like an all-seeing eye peering out.

I pledge allegiance to the patch

of blue sky showing where quilted

clouds have torn themselves apart

to reveal the promise waiting beneath.

I pledge allegiance to the porcupine

with a white spike of quills around

his tender face, feeding on wildflowers

as we feast on every scrap of beauty

that comes our way this spring.


When so much feels off-kilter and uncertain, when it seems there is so little we can trust these days, we can still pledge our allegiance to the actual world, to cycles that persist in spite of human cruelties and error. Just the other day, I lost myself while pulling invasive garlic mustard from around my writing studio, climbing on the hillside among the ferns and wildflowers, feeling a sense of what Buddhists might call “no-self.” The stories running through my mind on a constant loop finally went quiet. And my husband and I must spend hours each week watching our resident porcupine outside, feeding on wildflowers, and one rainy day, sleeping soundly in the crook of a tree. I’m not sure why it brings me such comfort to watch this tender creature calmly going about its business, but I feel renewed even after just five minutes of tracing its slow, sloth-like movements. Immersion in nature doesn’t fix all that’s wrong right now, and we must still stand up for what is right, push against all that is wrong. Yet we need reminders of what we are fighting for in the first place, and we desperately crave time outside of clock-time, so that our spirits don’t become so weighed down that we end up burning out. The “scraps of beauty,” when taken one by one, might seem insufficient against all that we are forced to witness and endure at this fraught moment. Yet taken collectively, they become a tapestry that can weave through our days, keeping us focused on the promise that waits beneath these clouds.

Invitation for Writing & Reflection: Start with the phrase, “I pledge allegiance to,” and see what comes to you. Maybe you feel an allegiance to the natural world, to a larger cause, to family members and loved ones in your community. What feels most solid and real to you in this moment?

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