On the 4th of July

Today, they’ll fire up the grill For burgers, hot dogs, ribs And hungry guests will gather ‘round To point and claim first dibs. I will not be among them, Though I’ll not be too forlorn; My husband mashed potatoes And made chicken and some corn. At night there will be fireworks But we will not attend. We’ll watch a Netflix series Where we’re almost at the end. We might hear firecrackers boom When we are close to sleep. I’ll think of Independence Day And hope we’ll somehow keep The promises the founding fathers Set in ink back then, But fear those words will not be honored, In our lives, again.