St. Patrick’s Day

More than the story of the snakes

he drove from Ireland;

more than the flowing Guinness

and the Irish coffee laced

with Jamieson’s;

more than the green Chicago river

or the monster buttons 

urging ‘Kiss me, I’m Irish’--

more than parades and

green sweaters, shamrocks

and green-dyed carnations,

Irish soda bread,  

corned beef and cabbage--

all the trappings of being Irish

in America—

celebrating our lack

of authenticity.

St. Patrick’s Day is 

so American:

not quite real, but

trying desperately hard to be;

symbols and icons,

celebration and show,

and the conceit that we can be

whatever we want to be

if we work at it—

even Irish.