Children on parade, 4th of July...(2001)

poem by Peter Menkin

The girl scouts wore silly hats,

one an emerald green overly large

with a brim as in top hat. More.

One satisfied mother pulled along

a boy

in a decorated red wagon, replete

with red, white, blue ribbons

on the wheels.

The congresswoman

sat on the back seat of the car,

listening to the constituents

on the avenue; they hailed.

Some people paraded

dressed as cats, long felt black tails.

The library

consisted of fanciful groups in their

atire, like the butterfly angel girl.

Mostly the July 4th parade,

at around noonsaw a rocket

ship, "made by someone's father"

the woman on the curbside grass told

her small son and daughter.

The rocket ship was filled with children,

four, and powered by a revolving

bubble blowing series of instruments

creating a trail.

An obelisk, black,

taller than a fire truck by two or three,

had preceeded the device, having

the American flag flat on one side.

The woman next to me, spent the time

holding and loving her children,

and her small son spelled "parade."

His sister was patient.

There were dogs. Beautiful ones.

The ring master

was, I think,

the cub scout of the year.

He sat up on the back seat

of a cream color car,

carried along in line.