Today's OneWord: Stripes

We are told to wear the red, white, and blue, even if it has to be spray painted onto our skin. They demand that we tattoo our arms and legs with the stars and stripes, even though no comets will pass along our assaulted epidermis, no spinning planets or glowing outside universe. And when we remove our hats to honor the latest pop star mutilating whatever anthem it is we're meant to respect, we tilt our heads toward the sky, where the fireworks blot out the moonlight, and we are left in a cold, ashen darkness.