Happy Birthday July 4th

Don’t worry, America, let the other heads of state sit in the big, beautifully lit ballroom beneath the gaudy chandeliers where the monumental paintings of the Flemish masters are being displayed. Let them salute their own flags.

Don’t worry, America, the heads of state have taken a little break from their thinking; no real agreements have yet been made in the trenches or on the seas. The newspapers of the international press say our country will soon rebound, enjoy a real renaissance. Social media agrees.

I do worry though, America. I worry that I ran a red light on Fillmore just before it graduated from red to green. I worry that I once chopped down both a cherry tree and a god with it. And even after doing that heinous deed, I lied about what I’d done. Then I lifted my head high above my shoulders and carried both god, the cherry tree, and me back to our nest.

Sail on, America and don’t worry. The nation is yours to keep for another 250 years.

“Candy Cigarettes”, 20” x 20”, acrylic and oil stick, 2020-26.