Midweek Reflections on the Ides of March, St. Patrick's Day and Limericks

‘Idál (Justice), 15 ‘Alá’ (Loftiness), 173 BE - Wednesday, March 15, 2017 CE about 12:15  PM Pacific Daylight Time 

Today is the Ides of March and all that means is that we're half-way through the third month of the Gregorian calendar. In the Roman calendar this day was marked by numerous religious observances and it was the day that Julius Caesar was killed in 44 BC. That seems to be the only thing that makes the Ides of March famous. Since Julius Caesar was warned to beware the Ides of March I suspect there is a lesson in there somewhere. I'm not going to attempt to figure out what the lesson is because I have other, more important, things to think about. 

St. Patrick's Day is on Friday, March 17, and it, like the Ides of March, is based on a religious celebration. St. Patrick's Day is the Feast of St. Patrick, who is the patron saint of Ireland. According to tradition and legend March 17 is the date St. Patrick died. Since I wasn't there in 461 AD when that occurred I just have to accept the story as it is told. 

One of the things about Ireland I like is limericks. I don't know of St., Patrick every told or wrote a limerick, but since he was in Ireland I guess he must have. I'll have to do a bit of research on that. I'll also have to check my poems to see if I ever wrote a limerick about St. Patrick or Ireland. I did write a limerick today, but it has nothing to do with St. Patrick. The limerick I wrote is about spring and summer. 

There was a young woman named Spring,  
Who was in love with a singer called Bing,
  On a bright summer day,
  She caught him with May, 
 Now Bing is unable to sing. 

Leprechauns in the Crosswalks

Istijlal (Majesty), 17 Alá’ (Lofitines), 172 BE - Thursday, March 17, 2016 about 2:06 PM Pacific Daylight Time

It's Saint Patrick's Day and leprechauns have been spotted using the crosswalks all over Las Vegas. These leprechauns are police officers dressed a leprechauns. This is a Saint Patrick's Day tradition to remind drivers they are supposed to stop for pedestrians. If drivers don't stop for the leprechaun officers then a motor cycle officers will stop the car and give the driver a ticket.

There are other Saint Patrick's Day traditions practiced here, but this tradition helps cut down on pedestrian death. This tradition also helps make drivers aware of the law that says they have to stop when they see a pedestrian in a crosswalk.

Tuesday's Topic: Happy St. Patrick's Day

Fiḍal (Grace), 16 ‘Alá (Loftiness), 171 BE - Tuesday, March 17, 2015 about 1:12 pm Pacific Daylight Time

Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone whether you are Irish or not. I am of Irish descent. I am of Scottish descent. I am of English descent. I am of German descent. According to family rumors, which I heard when I was a child, there is even Native American in the family line. What do these family lines mean? They mean that I had some very brave and intriguing ancestors.

My ancestors came to America to find something. Perhaps it was freedom, a better standard of living, or adventure. I do not know much about my family history. In fact the only thing I have is a story that my Grandma Darbe (my father's mother) told. She said that four brothers came to America from Ireland. When they arrived at Ellis Island each brother spelled his last name differently.

Family History: Memories of St. Patrick’s Day

Istiqlál (Independence), 15 ‘Alá (Loftiness), 168 BE – Friday, March 16, 2012 about 5:55 PM Pacific Time

I don’t have a many childhood memories of St. Patrick’s Day. I was raised Southern Baptist, so we never celebrated St. Patrick’s Day at home. When I was growing up, on St. Patrick’s Day I always made sure I wore green to school. The reason for this was simple; I didn’t want to get pinched. If you didn’t wear green someone pinched you and once the pinching started it never stopped, except maybe in the classroom.

Another interesting occurrence on St. Patrick’s Day was cupcakes with green frosting. I remember someone’s mother making these cupcakes and sending them to the class, but I don’t remember if it were because a classmate had a birthday on St. Patrick’s Day or they were sent to celebrate the day. I liked the chocolate cupcakes with green frosting myself.

Childhood memories are interesting. Sometimes they are just snippets of what happened. Sometimes they are pleasant memories and sometimes unpleasant. In the case of St. Patrick’s Day, it is a mixture. The pinching was definitely an unpleasant experience, but the chocolate cupcakes with green frosting were pleasant. Those are my memories of St. Patrick’s Day; I hope everyone has a pinch free St. Patrick’s Day this year.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Idál (Justice), 16 ‘Alá (Loftiness), 166 BE - Wednesday, March 17, 2010 about 11:50 AM Pacific Time

I'm not sure I know what is meant by Happy St. Patrick's Day, except that this is the day my weird Irish sense of humor show up. On St. Patrick's Day I will laugh at odd situations, so it has to be my weird Irish sense of humor. I've celebrated St. Patrick's Day for as long as I can remember, normally by wearing something green.

St. Patrick's Day green
Is emerald green and silk
Beautiful color

I'm an American of Irish descent, so I have to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Celebrating St. Patrick's day is my way of remembering my Irish ancestors.

St. Patrick's Day in Grade School

Kamál (Perfection), 16 ‘Alá (Loftiness), 164 B.E. – Monday, March 17, 2008 about 12:43 PM PDT

When I went to grade school in Blackwell, Oklahoma, we wore green on St. Patrick's Day. Everyone in the class including the teacher wore something green. Some of the girls coordinated their outfits so that they wore all green, while other girls wore a green blouse, skirt, or anklets. The boys wore green shirts.

For the students this was more then just a fashion statement celebrating St. Patrick. It was protection. Back then if you did not wear green you got pinched, so you had to wear green. It was an odd custom. I did not think much about it then. Now I consider it not only odd, but also an inappropriate response.

It is interesting how people have changes since I went to grade school fifty some years ago. Now if another student pinched you not wearing green, you would go to the teacher or the principle. Pinching someone for any reason is inappropriate and should be treated as such. However, fifty years ago we had different opinions and did not understand how something like that can affect a child. Pinching for not wearing green was just as inappropriate then and as it is now, that was a different time. It was a different century.

Saturday Again

It's Saturday again and I'm looking out my living room window at a partly cloudy sky. The wind is blowing through the boughs of the stone pine tree. It's a bit chilly in the house, but not so cold that the heat is coming on.

Palm Sunday is on March 16 and then on Monday St. Patrick's Day. Next Friday, March 21, is Good Friday, the first day of spring and Naw-Ruz, while next Sunday, March 23, is Easter; all good days for a poet and a writer. Each holiday has its own memories for me. Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday bring back memories of my childhood in Oklahoma and my grandparents. Naw-Ruz is a holy day and has its own special quality. This is indeed a week to look forward to and should be extremely productive.

This week I am working on a Monotetra poem

Jalál (Glory), 14 ‘Alá (Loftiness), 164 B.E. –Friday, March 14, 2008 about 10:42 PM PST

This week I'm working on a Monotetra poem. I haven't decided on a theme or subject yet. The form was posted on the Stretch Your Style page today, with a suggestion on a subject, but I'm not sure yet if I'm going to do the suggested subject or not. I'll think about it tonight and decided in the morning.

The only thing I am sure about tonight is that the poem will contain more then one stanza. It will be at least three stanzas perhaps more. The number of stanzas depend on the subject I write about. Palm Sunday is on March 16 and St. Patrick's day is coming up, both are good subjects for a poem. I haven't written a Palm Sunday poem in a while so perhaps I'll use that as a subject. I'll have to research Palm Sunday and see if there are any little know facts or small details I can focus on.