St. Patrick’s Day, 2019 by Glen Sorestad

March 17, 2022

Poem name: St Patrick’s Day, 2019 Poet name: Glen Sorestad Poem begins: remembering Paddy O’Rourke We’ve come around again to the calendar’s greenest non-eco day and for the second year now, you are not here with us. Not that this most Irish day of days was ever an occasion for displays of ethnic exuberance on your part – the contrary was more often the case. How you avoided flaunting any shamrock, kitschy green ties or hats, four-leafed clovers, or above all, any mention of leprechauns. You derided green-dyed beer that turned, perfectly good lager to a kool-aid lookalike. St. Patrick was your namesake. So how can we who are left behind not remember and think of you, this day above all others? While you were with us, we came to appreciate how firmly planted were those Irish roots that named your dogs, Feena and Erigel, that shaped your love of the arts, of Irish poets – Yeats, Heeney, or Durcan -- or Celtic music. This day is one more day that you are not here with us. remembering Paddy O’Rourke We’ve come around again to the calendar’s greenest non-eco day and for the second year now, you are not here with us. Not that this most Irish day of days was ever an occasion for displays of ethnic exuberance on your part – the contrary was more often the case. How you avoided flaunting any shamrock, kitschy green ties or hats, four-leafed clovers, or above all, any mention of leprechauns. You derided green-dyed beer that turned, perfectly good lager to a kool-aid lookalike. St. Patrick was your namesake. So how can we who are left behind not remember and think of you, this day above all others? While you were with us, we came to appreciate how firmly planted were those Irish roots that named your dogs, Feena and Erigel, that shaped your love of the arts, of Irish poets – Yeats, Heeney, or Durcan -- or Celtic music. This day is one more day that you are not here with us. End of poem. Credits and bio: Copyright © Glen Sorestad The Blue Nib (Ireland) in July 2020, Issue 44. Glen Sorestad is a much published poet from Saskatoon whose poems have appeared widely and have been translated into eight languages. He a Member of the Order of Canada.