PHARAOH’S ARMY DROWNING IN THE RED SEA, Giulio Carpioni (1613-1678)

“The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.”

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the Lord swept them into the sea. The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.”

Exodus 14:22-31

THE FLAG

The flagless people watch the sea closing
over the flags fluttering, "We. Here. Honor."

A flag says, "We are here. It is we
who are here. Everywhere else
is the land of the homeless them."

A flag says, "Come in from the cold,
open the door of the here, of the we,
and enter."

A flag says, "You are home."
And, “Home is honor."

But now the homeless, flagless people watch the sea closing
over the flags shouting, "Here! We! Honor!" salty tongues licking
the horses' chaffed sides and the horsemen breathing
in each other's faces the smells of their gasps,
of their disbelief and wailing, "Where
is honor?"

"Where did she flee?" 
"Where did here  
go?" 

The dry land people watch and learn and tell each other, 
"The better place to plant a flag is in one's heart." 

—Stefan Balan