It's my birtday I've got an empty <br />stomach and the desire to be <br />lazy in the hammock and maybe <br />go for a cool swim on a hot day <br />with the trombone in Sinatra's <br />"I've Got You Under My Skin" <br />in my head and then to break for <br />lunch a corned-beef sandwich and Pepsi <br />with plenty of ice cubes unlike France <br />where they put one measly ice cube <br />in your expensive Coke and when <br />you ask for more they argue with <br />you they say this way you get more <br />Coke for the money showing they <br />completely misunderstand the nature of <br />American soft drinks which are an <br />excuse for ice cubes still I wouldn't <br />mind being there for a couple of <br />days Philip Larkin's attitude <br />toward China comes to mind when <br />asked if he'd like to go there he said <br />yes if he could return the same day<br /><br />David Lehman<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/june-11/
