Valentine's Day 2008

Around this time of year you always see stories in the news about the build up to Valentine's Day, the perfect gift, etc. Gag.

Anyway, in among these articles, you also see some "News of the Odd" type reports about how some other countries have their own take on St. Valentine's Feast Day. Like in some east Asian countries.

Or how some strict, mostly anti-western elements in other countries don't really handle it well, at all.

This year's poem, set to ballad verse, touches upon that, and how maybe we here in the West might want to rethink the whole multi-culti thing on our own soil (Archbishop of Canterbury, I'm looking in your direction).

Enjoy!

Valentine’s Day 2008: Love Under Siege

Mercantilism run amok,
At least so in the West,
Describes this day so few can duck
Whose Saint runs second best.

And while we suffer in the thrall
Of Hallmark, F.T.D.,
A world away, there is a brawl
Where romance is the key.

The Saudis banned the ruddy rose
To dampen passion’s flame,
For fear that when such ardor flows,
Romance they cannot tame.

Ironic, thus, that in the land
Where Islam’s honor bound,
St. Valentine, as contraband,
Has martyrs underground.

The Hindus, too, wage war upon
The Western god Amor.
Their nativists denounce the Son
Of Venus, to restore

Tradition, as a counter to
Romantic Love’s appeal.
That nation sure does seem to rue
That Kamasutra deal.

So maybe we should reassess
The dues that we must pay.
Our Western Culture won’t regress
On St. Valentine’s Day.

-James Morris, February 14, 2008