Friday Friends - @dustycrabtree shares her poignant Tattered Flag

"The Tattered Flag" and an Inspirational Read
by Dusty Crabtree

What do you get when you cross a patriotic idealist and writer like myself with the sad vision of a tattered flag? A sad, patriotic poem about a tattered flag, of course. Through the sadness I hope I can spark some pride in our country and the flag that represents it.



“The Tattered Flag”

It flaps in the wind limply at one corner. The other is ripped to shreds, caught, hanging on a wire, dejectedly. Unable to break free.

It’s been windy. It’s raining. It’s nobody’s fault.

And yet…it just feels wrong. The moment I see it from my car, a whimper escapes my lips. A pain shoots through my chest. It aches. I want to cry. I might as well have witnessed a young kid being pushed down by a bully. How could someone treat the flag this way? A sense of injustice burns inside so strong that my world turns upside down.

Such a strong emotion for such a simple inanimate object. But it’s not simple, is it? It represents our country’s life. Our freedom. Us. So, I guess...in a way...it isn’t just an object treated with disrespect. It’s a living and breathing representation of hope. And if that’s torn and tattered, then what do we have left?

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Now that I've got you all warm and fuzzy, how about another riddle. What do you get when you cross an idealist writer like myself with a passion for teenagers and young adults? A YA urban fantasy called Shadow Eyes. For those of you (teens and adults alike) who love a good hope-filled, inspirational read but also love paranormal, romance, suspense, and mystery, check out Shadow Eyes this summer.

Iris Kohl lives in a world populated by murky shadows that surround, harass, and entice unsuspecting individuals toward evil. But she is the only one who can see them. She’s had this ability to see the shadows, as well as brilliantly glowing light figures, ever since an obscure, tragic incident on her fourteenth birthday three years earlier.

Although she’s learned to cope, the view of her world begins to shift upon the arrival of three mysterious characters. First, a handsome new teacher whose presence scares away shadows; second, a new friend with an awe-inspiring aura; and third, a mysterious and alluring new student whom Iris has a hard time resisting despite already having a boyfriend.

As the shadows invade and terrorize her own life and family, she must ultimately revisit the most horrific event of her life in order to learn her true identity and become the hero she was meant to be.

Check out Dusty's blog.
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Buy Shadow Eyes and/or read its reviews at Musa Publishing or Amazon.
(also available at all major online bookstores)
View the book trailer.