Bicentenial Indepence Party

(circa July 4, 1976)

What I remember
as a 10 year old
in the bicentennial
year of the Declaration
of Independence from
the British oppressors
under the reign of 
President Jimmy Carter
and Billy Beer at
the Geist Celebration
at Uncle Tom
and Aunt Adele’s
July 4th, 1976
Party in the Lehigh
Parkway in Allentown
Pennsylvania was the
Company of Nana Geist,
eight Aunts and Uncles,
and 25 cousins running
around the property
playing like young
Tazmanian Devils,
splashing in the
Little Lehigh River,
the garter snake
across the driveway
and the Billy
Goat that stood
on the Volkswagen
and the giant
German Shephards with
the wet dog smell
and all the great food
and the beer and
the family picture taken
and the laughter and
running in the woods
and getting poison ivy
and mosquito bites as
the sun began to set
and the great firework
show put on by
my pyro-maniac
Uncle Dale.
 
 The thing I
remember most is
is picking up a
recently “sparkled” sparkler
stick off the ground,
not from the wire
end, but from
the pyrotechnic composite
end that had just
been freshly discarded
on the pavement
and burning my
thumb, index and
middle fingers 
causing me to
yelp.
 
My celebration
ended when I
branded myself.
I was “independent”
of  pain
4-5 days
later.