Patrick’s Medals

begorrah it was an insincere
attempt to ill use the news
sure and by God

if the medals had been
just a worthless gesture we’d
never hear or see the like again –

but for a pestilent aberration
of a thief who stole them – amongst
other things – from the container

so bereaved we are to be
before the public wake
has even been arranged

and suddenly they’re appealing
self-righteously on the TV news
for their return

seems a demand for ribbons
resplendent like these motivated
the estranged memories

now it’s strange isn’t it that in
all the years our Patrick was alive
the intrinsic value was zero

‘twas nought for all the glory
that he fought – but then
he never tried to sell them
© 20 August 2008, I. D. Carswell