Allons Enfants de la Patrie

The French are difficult to love.
They often act, as though above,
Their provenance was foreordained
To guarantee that, though disdained,
The rest of us were civilized
Enough, at least, to be apprised
Of how to speak and eat and paint,
And copulate without restraint.

The trouble is, in every case,
They’re right. Besides we had to face
The truth that sans Louis Seize' fleet
Off Yorktown we could not defeat
The Brits so that our States could thrive
United with their hopes alive
To join the host of nations and
Across the continent expand.

Then stirred-up Frenchmen, brought to heel,
Decided in the Place Bastille
To free the prisoners, toss the key,
And guillotine snobiste Louis.
We both helped topple tyranny
In later reciprocity.
So on their Independence Day,
Marchons, marchons, I’d like to say.

—Bastille Day, 2012