Flag Pole in the Wind

You are looking up at the flagpole as the flag itself it caught in the strong wind. You close your eyes for a few seconds as the rope bangs against the metal of the pole. In the distance you can hear cars going by, but soon the only sound is that of the wind moving the flag furiously against the steadfast flagpole.

A flagpole, flagstaff, or staff can be a simple support made of wood or metal. If it is taller than can be easily reached to raise the flag, a cord is used, looping around a pulley at the top of the pole with the ends tied at the bottom. The flag is fixed to one lower end of the cord, and is then raised by pulling on the other end. The cord is then tightened and tied to the pole at the bottom. The pole is usually topped by a flat plate or ball called a "truck" (originally meant to keep a wooden pole from splitting) or a finial in a more complex shape. Very high flagpoles may require more complex support structures than a simple pole, such as guy wires, or need be built as a mast.