Nationalists around the world mark their passions with displays of military might. America’s patriots do things differently, at least in my book.

Our love for this great land is rooted in her natural beauty and the lives of her inhabitants – from the smallest sea star to the tallest spruce.

Artists have helped us celebrate this love throughout history. Consider two poets who published widely acclaimed works on Independence Day. One was Walt Whitman, whose ecstatic ode to life, Leaves of Grass, made its debut on July 4, 1855.

“I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars,” wrote Whitman, and he extended equal adoration to tree, seagull, fireman, elk, black bear, mechanic, buffalo, hummingbird, and the farmer’s girl baking shortcake. All these and more were included in Whitman’s expansive embrace of American selfhood.

Katherine Lee Bates was another good example. The professor from New England was deeply moved by the wonders she saw during her first trip West. Inspired by the view from atop Pikes Peak, she composed a poem to her country that was published on July 4, 1895. When later set to music it became known to every citizen. America the Beautiful would be our national anthem if it weren’t too loving to sing at football games.

These are grand-scale examples of patriotic art. They stoke our spirits with a fuel that burns much longer than martial passion.

A kindred fire is fed when we celebrate the wonders of our coastline. I can’t picture a more soul-stirring image of America’s shores than the view looking south toward Haystack Rock from Ecola State Park. Bates might have pierced every linebacker’s heart had she penned her stanzas from that vantage point.

Years ago we celebrated Independence Day by turning that special stretch of shoreline into a mock war zone. The state rule prohibiting fireworks on Oregon’s beaches was broken here in July, as is still common in other locations.

Consumers crowded onto what some called “the ashtray” to detonate loads of disposable imported stuff, much of which was left to pollute the tide.

That changed in Cannon Beach, mostly because citizens could no longer condone the trash or harm done to marine wildlife. The City Council adopted an ordinance enforcing the state rule regarding fireworks. This doubled as an act of kindness toward local canines. Having had their fill of bombs bursting in air, some military vets were also pleased by the decision. The late Rev. Billy Hults was among them.

The beaches between Tillamook Head and Silver Point are now a great getaway for Americans who want a peaceful place to celebrate our freedom. Here’s where patriots can party with tufted puffins and strawberry shortcakes and a perfect small town parade. Toss in free hot dogs and cookies and an afternoon concert in the park. What more could anyone want on Independence Day?

Rest assured I know the answer given by many residents and visitors. Cannon Beach is a great place to hug the holiday during daylight hours, but where’s that big hot kiss after sunset? The glow of beach fires is not enough to satisfy some celebrants who want more spark after dark. So they get in their cars and drive elsewhere to watch the skies explode.

Count me among the consumers who’ve enjoyed that ritual on occasion. Yet there are more tantalizing ways to work with fire than blowing stuff up. This year Cannon Beach is featuring a different kind of pyrotechnic show, one that ignites the senses without trashing our beaches or putting nature in harm’s way.

We’re bringing artists to town who are on intimate terms with the element of fire. They’re called “fire dancers,” but what they do could be compared to acrobatics. Folks who’ve witnessed these performers know how they can wow an audience with their skin-tingling courtship of flame and physique. Had Walt Whitman seen fire dancers I bet he would have added some rousing lines to “I sing the body electric,” one of his most famous poems.

“The Fourth of July was made for fire dancers,” says Shireen Press, owner of Flamebouyant Productions of Portland. “In a standard fireworks show the audience watches from a distance and doesn’t see the technicians. With a fire dance everything is up close and personal. We the people get to connect in an exciting way.”

Changing habits to help the planet need not sacrifice spark.

Perhaps families of the free world are now primed to appreciate the broader fusion of eco-fidelity and fun. If coastal citizens realize our full potential for green hospitality, maybe visitors will catch a nature-loving wave that sweeps clean across the country.

America deserves that caring caress. Lending a hand should make every patriot smile.

Watt Childress is a Cannon Beach bookseller who lives on a small farm in the Nehalem Valley. E-mail him at wattchildress@nehalemtel.net.