Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!
~~~~~~~ On St. Paddy’s Day ~~~~~~~
On city streets and hills and village squares
Neighbors celebrate with ethnic pride
Something ancient ~~ veiled in mist ~~ with airs
That sound like merry mourning countrywide.
Pipes of clay so white and pints of brew
Abound among the throngs that flood the pubs
Declaiming Emerald the sacred hue ~~
Decrying England’s cruel historic snubs.
Yet, maudlin sentiment soon drowns the ire.
‘Tis nostalgia that’s the order of the day ~~
Sweet dreams of something mythic ~~ far away
Dissolve with drink the potency of fire.
A nation’s wounded pride may fill its heart,
Yet give no strength save that which tears apart.
~ FreeThinke ~ The Sandpiper ~ Spring 1997
A wonderful bit of verse, FT! And the graphics match so well -- as is usually the case here at your blog site.
ReplyDeleteI love St. Paddy's Day. Every shade of green is my best color!
I wish that I had been able to sport green yesterday in honor of St. Paddy's Day. Alas! Yesterday here was "Snow Patrick's Day"! I was decked out in sweatpants and a heavy coat. I did wear my shamrock necklace, though.
You did more than I to honor St. Patrick, AOW. I celebrated in a purely mental and spiritual way, and remained attired in my skivvies all day, because while you had snow we had drenching rain -- all day long -- just as we had the day before. It was almost as dark as night here for the past two days. A great incentive to stay home.
ReplyDeleteThe best thing about the sonnet is that it really does give a brief-but-accurate outline of the life of St. Patrick -- as much as we 're able to know about it. Some would like to dismiss him as the mere product of myth and legend --- just as they' like to do with Lord Jesus -- but I would insist that any story from ancient times that remains so long in a culture's collective memory must be rooted in Truth.
This is both beautiful and brilliant, FT. It's too bad no one took any notice of it, other than your good friend, AOW. That, of course, is the trouble with the world today; we seem to have lost awareness of the finer things in life that could raise out spirits. Instead most dwell on everything painful, sordid, ugly and depressing. That mentality has warped our thinking, and degraded us as a people. Thank you for trying to combat the negativity by quietly sharing marvels now and then.
ReplyDeleteHelen Highwater
thank you, Helen, and AOW too, of course. very sweet of both of to stop by and take notice
ReplyDeleteAren't those shamrocks exquisitely beautiful? I wish we could grow them like that here!