Green Alligators And Long Neck Geese Poem by Joe Rosochacki

On March17th nineteen hundred eighty-eight,
St. Patty’s was the party date,
I traveled with my associate Joe Borkowski to Bowmanville, Ontario.
For Business and not to play,
For we vowed not to play on St. Patty’s Day.
There were parades,
busloads of intoxicated people and more than a share of emerald beers.
H O W I R I S H C A N T H A T B E ?
With everyone wearing a shamrock and green sweaters,
When in fact very proudly, but today’s news they did not want to hear.
“Green Alligators” and “Danny Boy” would share the spotlight with a jig,
The former written by a Jewish-American the latter to be sung by John Reilly,
His resounding voice reflecting his diaphragm,
so projected,
so big.
As people got messed up and partied in limos,
Today’s news was oblivious to their ear,
I guess that’s the way it goes,
For as the Irish-Americans strutted their green,
There was more violence and death that the Irish-Irish had seen.
No one paused for a solemn peace,
or prayed in their pubs for a lasting peace,
Or even that for one day killing would cease,
No one wanted to know or be near,
The violence on the news,
the news they did not want to hear,
As I watched with horror at the killings at a cemetery.
The plots of three were not filled with soil when a fanatic threw a hand grenade.
Fired a gun,
-and killed another three.
H O W I R I S H C A N T H A T B E ?
In response the following day on video,
Some British police met their demise with odds several score to two,
To a band of irrational emotional Catholics,
-this was no surprise,
-nothing new.
As the killing and maiming continues what news would be to bear,
Do the people in the pubs on St. Patty’s continue to pay, play and perhaps-
NOT CARE?
WHEN WILL THE FIGHTING CEASE?
Probably when people understand what is truly Irish and unlike the Mornin’ Spring,
It is not “Green Alligators and Long Neck Geese”.

(3-20-1988)