On any day worth celebrating,

not one filled with jingoistic pride

in which by virtue of having a bigger gun,

a more powerful machine, a more sturdier device

which you reached for the safety first and dangled

the instrument of possible torture around

threatening to put at least one load between the eyes

of the nearest person who dared open their mouths

in shock or disengaged amusement,

on any day worth celebrating I would rather take

the moment afforded to pause and wonder

if you would enjoy it too;

whether you would get something out of it, whether you would

like to have as much fun as I would like

and together not reach for a weapon of mass distraction

but instead perhaps solve the dirty puzzle,

unravel a joint

ed expression and kick back a taste of old velvet,

a friendship signed in agreement, the celebration realised

not with the firing of guns in a street and that ol’ Devil

the target of affection

but with mutual joy,

you getting as much as I

in my day of celebration.

 

Ian D. Hall 2015