To be English

It's St. George's day, and the banners of patriotism fly
Those claiming to know where the loyalties of the country lie
Claim persecution, because their love of country is too strong
And through all this, I have to wonder where I belong.

You see, the flag is rarely flown from a moderate door
But shared on facebook, by those wanting to give immigrants a war.
To claim you "love your country" is to gain a label
The "patriotic liberal" is known as an oxymoronic fable



So here's the thing. I do love my country. I really am proud.
And yes, I really do acknowledge its flaws, but I should still be allowed
To love the NHS. The money and citizens we send for aid.
The fact we protect workers by giving a minimum they can be paid

The communities we still have, even if they're diminishing
The courage and resilience we show goes way beyond idle wishing
The education we provide - others travel many miles to learn here
The fact the death penalty hasn't been seen in Britain for 51 years

Our sporting, intellectual and creative prowess should not be taken lightly
We're kind to others, we're known for taking matter politely
And while the nuances of the matter are far too great to explain in verse
I'd honestly like to think we've made this world better, not worse.


If we don't show pride for our country, we let others dictate its character
If we don't acknowledge advances as well as issues, we'll never make it better
St. George may be an odd choice for our patron. But I'd still like to say
Even if it's not cool among my class. I'm proud to be English today.