FLAG DAY

George and I sat
under the oak tree nearest 
the administration building
at Baylor--it was the first time
we ventured in public
with our friendship
away from his office or my library
carrel--we had months of
those encounters under our skin
before we sat in heat and humid
and grinned at butterflies
just beyond our reach
and it was Flag Day, Roger's
birthday (yes, George, but he wanted
me to call him by his middle name
and so I did)--to me, always Roger
as he explained how he thought
he was special because American
flags lined the streets of Waco
on his birthday and how many
years it took before he realized
they were not celebrating him
how many more
before he ever felt 
celebrated again
And we reached for each other's hands
like butterflies and tried our best
to be the flag-lined cheer
in each other's life.

© Valerie Bridgeman
June 14, 2013