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July 2020
Barbara Leeds
I hate crowds
But make an exception for the Fourth of July
Every year for three decades
A cookout on my patio
I make potato salad
Craig makes patties
Allan brings the grill
Everyone with a free hand shucks corn
After the feast we pack blankets and warm clothes
Walk an hour to Shoreline Amphitheatre
Join 20,000 fellow citizens
And the San Francisco Symphony
The grand finale “1812 Overture”
and “The Stars and Stripes Forever”
With fireworks
The top of the lawn our favorite spot
Also the coldest and windiest
But closest to the pyrotechnics
Sometimes unexploded fragments rain on us
Sometimes distant displays catch our attention
The years bring changes
We grow older, the ground harder
The roster of participants varies
Patio barbecue morphs to carried-in picnic
Together
Every Fourth of July
This year I stay home
Alone
Copyright © 2020 Barbara Leeds