Because today is a holiday, and a very nice excuse for a party,
I have decided to do a little piece on/about/around St. Patrick's day.
If you are Irish, I apologize for any offense I will probably cause you inadvertently. I myself am part Irish, so hopefully you'll forgive me.
Enjoy.
St. Patrick's Day Parade
One day every year, we all decide to get smashed
and blame it on the Irish.
We pick the stereotype of the emerald isle we like best and wave it like a flag,
drunken people the world over will, for today,
be drunken without the guilt that follows them home like an AA member pitching the spiel.
Green top hat wearing frat boys will crawl out of their houses to spread that festive viridian racism to all sober enough to listen,
or drunk enough to care.
A conga line of shamrock waving, green face painted, Guinness drinking, professional slackers, all the fault of the Irish.
Well this year I propose a toast. A toast to all those who laugh every time St. Paddy's day rolls around, laugh at the insecurity of a world that has to have an alibi for being so drunk they think they can dance a jig, an alibi for being humanly weak,
this one day of the year only, and decide to blame the Irish.
A toast, I say, to everyone who has the spine to get drunk without
pointing fingers, or needing a reason.
A toast to every lime-faced, stumble-footed, kilt-wearing, Jackass,
that gives us something to make fun of today.
Here's to the Saint Patrick's day parade.
Okay, that kind of turned into a rant, but it was a damn good rant.
I like! Especially the line about "those sober enough to listen or drunk enough to care".
ReplyDeleteIt needs a bit of tightening up, as you said it turned into a bit of a rant...there are some lines that could probably be cut or at least refined a bit.
But I really like the point! It's funny and a bit poignant at the same time. A couple of things going on at once, which is awesome. I'm trying to decide if you're suggesting that it's bad to get drunk or that it's only bad to get drunk because of St. Paddy's Day...or if you're undecided!
I second Teresa, personally. It starts out as something we'd come to expect of a St. Patrick's Day poem, and then it transcends into something deeper. Humorous, but thought-provoking. Sláinte!
ReplyDeleteYour ranting is awesome.
ReplyDeleteThank you