Fourth of July - Happy 236th B'day USA - Poem: The Red White and Blue (Fourth of July poem)

Hope your day was as wonderful as mine.

Scott and I swam in Ada's pool, joined by the one and only Michael Phelps, who then swam back home to practice for the Olympics

While in the pool I looked at my perfectly clean fingernails. In fact my body was totally sanitized by the chlorine.

The meal we had was scrumptious.

Or-derves included melons and strawberries. Scott and I adhere to the GOMBS diet of Joel Fuhrman, MD - a former figure-skating champ - which is rich in micro-nutrients: Oreos, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Cheesecake, Canolis.

GOMBS - Greens, onions, mushrooms, beans and berries, and seeds.

Rich threw the baked potatoes directly into the BBQ fire to cook them faster, while Ada prepared food in the kitchen.

Known for never stuffing myself, I stuffed myself.

In toto, I ate: salmonburgers - baked potato with butter and sour cream (Ada, dyou have sour cream?) - black bean salad - Mexican salad with corn, beans etc - cold quinoa dish - carrot pudding (!) - and blueberry cake for dessert from Maida Heater's cookbook.

Ada sent me home with two pieces of the scrumptious blueberry cake. I had one piece for a mid-morning snack and my sugar went up to 234. Got on my bike and took two phone calls while pedaling for half an hour and got it down to normal!

We left Ada and Rich's at 7:20 pm so Scott could make the 7:50 train to work. I was so stuffed I didn't eat another thing all nite.

I wrote the below poem several years ago. I read it over the phone to my late friend Bill Cardinale, god knows why, and it was critiqued at the River Poets Group in Lambertville, NJ. My copy of the poem has Joe Traceno's name on it. I see him vividly now as I look at his name. He died within two years of his beloved wife Sylvia Getsler.

And, yes, I see her now too!

THE RED WHITE AND BLUE

What if

America

had never been?

Where would we go?

Who would we be then?

What if the Great Men

who came before us

had never met

had never gathered together

in thought and contemplation

the greatest coincidence in history

the greatest “meant-to-be”

here under Philadelphia skies

their buckled shoes

walking across hardwood floors

taking their seats at long tables

quills for pens.

Deists all

their mind became

that sacred thing:

one.

They met

and from them sprang

America!

I am the flag

Fly on!

From front porches

all across America

Fly on!

I am the flags that line

the Arlington graves

Fly on!

I am the flag

the closest thing to Freedom

mankind has ever known

Fly on!

I am the flag of colors

rich and deep

no in-betweens

nothing hidden

everything in sight.

Fly on!

I am the Flag

the peoples

the ideas

the trees

the grass

the rushing waters

a small piece of cloth

silk,

smile on,

shine on,

Fail not,

fall not,

never flag.

Fly on!