Post 1 Jania Stevenson

June 11

David Lehman

It's my birthday I've got an empty
stomach and the desire to be
lazy in the hammock and maybe
go for a cool swim on a hot day
with the trombone in Sinatra's
"I've Got You Under My Skin"
in my head and then to break for
lunch a corned-beef sandwich and Pepsi
with plenty of ice cubes unlike France
where they put one measly ice cube
in your expensive Coke and when
you ask for more they argue with
you they say this way you get more
Coke for the money showing they
completely misunderstand the nature of
American soft drinks which are an
excuse for ice cubes still I wouldn't
mind being there for a couple of
days Philip Larkin's attitude
toward China comes to mind when
asked if he'd like to go there he said
yes if he could return the same day

from The Daily Mirror, 2000
Scribner, New York

Copyright 2000 by David Lehman.
All rights reserved.

 

 

This poem is about how sometimes a big party and a lot of celebration doesn't really happen on your birthday. Sometimes just doing nothing and relaxing on your birthday is enough. This particular poem appealed to me because my birthday is also in June and I understand the feeling of some years just wanting to chill and have your birthday be like any other summer day.