A Patriotic Interlude

July 1, 2018

Sunday lunch at Floyd’s

Happy family, we

Save for someone teething

A tentative smile had she

Flickering image above us

Caught her wary eye

A soccer match in Moscow

At least she didn’t cry

But then she did. I took her out

Under the porte-cochre’

A lovely bench to sit on

A summer breeze at play

She flexed her hands, examined her toes

Fuzzy head under my chin

She watched the people she watched the cars

Fly by on Interstate Ten

And then, my gracious! what wonder is this

Furling and snapping on high?

It’s a flag, my dear, so now I will sing

On this the first of July

I started the medley with Cohan

Then moved to Sousa, J.P.

Baby was the majorette

And the band? Grandmotherly me

Then back to Grand Old Flag

to the line I couldn’t recall

I didn’t ask the passersby

Since Baby cared not at all

So la la la at the gap in the song

It suited us perfectly fine

Then mama came out, I gave her the Child

Then went in search of the line

God bless our fractious nation

We might as well be teething

Perhaps if we join in a simple old song

We can stop yelling, and work toward believing:

You’re a grand old flag
You’re a high-flying flag
And forever in peace may you wave
You’re the emblem of
The land I love
The home of the free and the brave
Ev’ry heart beats true
Under red, white and blue
Where there’s never a boast or brag
But should old acquaintance be forgot
Keep your eye on the grand old flag