born before the war

Born before the war

The sky was sullen and sorrowful 
was the mist smoke from hot cannons
on crackling radios, people listened to 
a man shrieking and thought 
what a useless idiot
my birth was painful for my mother
she cried
 my brother entered the room
 slapped my face for hurting her
He was four years old and born,
a mild fine day in May
 thus of happy disposition 
expert in telling jokes
and in later years, wore my leather
jacket I had bought in Buenos Aires
October weather has much to answer for
my gloomy opinions are banned 
on the Woke sensors on Facebook
who says, if you cannot be pleasant, send
a picture of a day in May
Me, I was expelled when the junta of four
colonels who ruled Greece for drinking ouzo
and be critical of them
Sent to an island for the mad, but six
month later, the hapless four officers 
joined me and became orderly, cleaning 
bed pans