The woman who fought
for Thanksgiving wrote
"Mary Had a Little Lamb,"
and Lincoln finally proclaimed
the day one of "humble penitence
for our national perverseness."
North and South were both
fighting a Holy War, proclaimed
days of fasting and regret,
hoped to win the next battle
with such purifying rites.
Our own persistent lamb
follows us as we declare
ourselves pure and redeemed,
all thankful we are so special,
any tail of humility
lost in jingles and rhymes
we sing to ourselves
as we skip along from then
to our pride-filled now.

-- Carol Hamilton