They never tell you
whether October 12
was Columbus' birthday
or the day he discovered
...
Between thunderstorms
a car pulls into the driveway
turns around, then parks,
a little old blonde woman
...
Searching for the man
at Planter's Peanuts
who, when they were kids,
shook hands with them
...
She switches the tv on
while she's drinking coffee
and the first thing she sees
is that red, white, and blue
...
Poem For Columbus Day
They never tell you
whether October 12
was Columbus' birthday
or the day he discovered
America
and somehow America
makes every October 12
a Monday
and if there had never
been a Columbus
there'd be no school holiday,
Paul and Carol would choose
some other weekend
to marry
I'd have stayed in New York
waiting for you to return
from your nephew's funeral
(who was also named Christopher)
there'd have been no reunion
no gathering together
you'd have grown up in Italy,
I'd have lived in Leeds, England,
there'd be no reason to be here.