Holiday IV

By

Gary Beck

We celebrate the Fourth of July.
The French celebrate Bastille Day.
I forget what the Russians celebrate.
Potemkin Day? Karl Marx Day? May Day?
But does anyone remember
why we celebrate these holidays? We all seem far removed
from revolutionary change
and except for the usual 1%,
we all want more material comforts
and most of us are unwilling
to cut off the heads
of the aristos,
substituting fireworks,
patriotic music,
for the Guillotine.