The Tale of Two Patricks

My father was born,
Late on the eve of St. Patrick’s Day,
Inspiring nurses to insist the babe’s name be Patrick,
To which, my grandparents laughed and chose to obey.

Decades later, 
When my parents had their first son,
Though the birth be in October,
The life of another Patrick, Pat Jr., begun.

Every St. Patrick’s Day has a special spark,
Because it is part of some family names,
Attached to cherished loved ones,
With identities inspired by the remarks of clever medical dames.

Both men are animated when they tell a yarn,
Have charisma in spades,
Are good with their hands,
And are talented at trades.

When you talk to either,
It is easy to see what is the same,
Between the two of them in how they interact,
Evidence of how special the tradition of namesakes remains.

Patricks can be the life of any party,
Their funny stories are the best,
They exclaim and use hand gestures,
Beam with pride genuinely and at the audience’s behest.

The stories sometimes involve classic cars,
Hunting trips that went bad,
Being stranded on the highway,
Hitchhiking like a Vietnam War draft-avoiding collegebound lad.

Or working outside on a project,
And meeting a politician who did not win,
Saying something quick-witted in the moment,
Once the words were out, they could not be put back in.

Some stories involved crawling under thorny rose bushes,
And riding in or watching holey canoes,
Watching the lost vessels sailing down the river,
Having to wring water out of soaked clothes and shoes.

Terrible situations made the best jokes,
I arrived to the gym parking lot and my truck was leaking gas,
“So I was a Molotov cocktail today”,
Learning to laugh at trouble helps it more easily pass.

Stories convey affection,
Sometimes in how they are told,
In who is featured and described,
In memories too precious to ever be sold.

Admitting mistakes, 
Or ignorance before,
Is great material for writers,
And the storytellers of yore.

Laughter makes light,
What may of, at the time, felt dark,
Reinvents and marinates it in humor,
Which tastes better and sings like a lark.

So Irishmen, tell your tales,
Dazzle your friends and bar mates alike,
Smile about your blunders,
And never relinquish that mic.

Retelling stories,
Can details switch,
Like the game of telephone,
Inaccuracies be rampantly forgiven, for the ears the stories enrich.

Grab your beer stein,
Or your alternative beverage of choice,
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day joyously,
And give your humorous tales voice.

Copyright © | Year Posted 2025



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Date: 3/27/2025 7:39:00 PM
Great poem - I would like to hear some stories from the two Patricks!
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Murphy Avatar
Mary Murphy
Date: 3/27/2025 8:18:00 PM
They are quite the hoot, when they have a yarn to tell.
Date: 3/27/2025 2:11:00 AM
Congratulations on your top win!
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Murphy Avatar
Mary Murphy
Date: 3/27/2025 7:31:00 PM
Thank you, Karen.
Date: 3/27/2025 12:16:00 AM
Congratulations on your win dear poet. lovely rhymes, Cheers!
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Mary Murphy
Date: 3/27/2025 7:32:00 PM
Thank you & Cheers!
Date: 3/26/2025 7:58:00 AM
Enjoyed this one Mary, hope you had a lovely St Patrick's day celebration. Congrats on your win. Welcome to poetry soup. Tom
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Murphy Avatar
Mary Murphy
Date: 3/27/2025 7:37:00 PM
Thank you, Tom. It was my first poetry submission on Poetry Soup. I signed up, since I felt inspired to write about the subject matter of this contest in particular. I love my two family Patricks. I’m Irish on both sides of my family.
Date: 3/26/2025 6:07:00 AM
Congrats Mary on a good finish in my contest. Well done. I like the story told in this poem and the way it ends
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Mary Murphy
Date: 3/27/2025 7:45:00 PM
Thank you! What an honor to contribute along with a talented field of poets! This contest ended up judged on my late mother’s birthday. Maybe some McGrath (mother’s maiden name) magic contributed to this especially Irish win. Thank you for facilitating the contest and appreciating my efforts.
Date: 3/23/2025 5:43:00 AM
Thanks for sharing this... exposing your thoughts through your unique poetic style. Welcome to Poetry Soup. I welcome you with the love of the Lord, expressed by John 3:16 of the Bible, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Be blessed.
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