St. Patrick's Day

The Wearin' of the Green

St. Patrick was a former slave,
But, no, he never was a knave.
A thousand years we've celebrated
This very famous, now belated.

In many countries parades abound
With celebrations all around.
They line the streets and wear the green;
The Irish in them's clearly seen.

A little praying's also done,
The walking's just part of the fun.
Corned beef and cabbage is the fare
At dinner time when all reach there.

And many a mug or two is lifted
To honor Patrick as the gifted,
The one who drove away the snakes,
Those pagans Irish felt were fakes,
And saved the Irish from their fate
On that a long, long ago date.

But by the time the day is done,
And revelers have had so much fun,
Perhaps they've lost their memory of
The Patrick that they pledged to love.

Mary S. Palmer
March 5, 2012