Journal 19: Poem - Flags Over the Forest

A poetic tribute to the five sovereign nations that have flown their flags throughout history over the forested land that is now Pinehaven. 

Flags Over the Forest (1)

Beneath the pines and peaks that gleam,

Where rivers twist and aspens dream,

There lies a land both wild and wise,

With stories whispered to the skies.

Before the borders, names, and lines,

The forest hummed with ancient signs.

The Ute, Apache, Pueblo, too

They knew these lands, they passed them through.

The Capote watched the seasons turn,

In sacred hills where spirits burn.

Then came the Spaniards, bold and proud,

With cross and crown and vows avowed.

They claimed the soil, they drew their maps,

And trailed through canyons’ silent gaps.

Their missions stood in dust and gold,

Their language deep, their stories old.

When Spain grew faint, the Eagle cried

Mexico rose, its hopes held high.

A young republic, fierce and wide,

Inherited this mountain side.

Though distant from the halls of power,

These woods still felt the empire’s hour.

Then Texas, wild with restless flame,

Declared a land without a name.

It claimed the peaks, though loosely held,

A dream the Rockies never quelled.

Its ghost remains in laughter’s toast,

Where Texans still retreat the most.

At last the Stars and Stripes were raised,

Through treaties signed and lines rephrased.

The Union came with rail and road,

And settlers seeking their abode.

They mined, they farmed, they built with pride,

And carved their stories mountain-wide.

Five flags have flown above these trees,

Through time, through war, through winter’s freeze.

Each left a trace, a thread, a flame

Yet still the forest keeps its name.

For Cuchara stands not bowed, but free,

A quilt of deep identity.

A village small, with echoes vast,

That bridges future with the past.

So let the wind through branches weave

The songs of those who dared believe.

From hunters' path to summer trail,

This land remembers every tale.

And in the hush of pine and sky,

Five flags still ripple soft and high.

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Footnotes

Parenthetical numbers in the text (e.g., 5) correspond to the sequentially numbered citations listed below.

1. OpenAI. (2025, May 30). Poem, Flags Over the Forest, generated by ChatGPT in response to user prompt. ChatGPT (GPT-4.5) https://chat.openai.com/.