Who?
Just who
authorized

the printer of my
wall calender
to remove Columbus

replacing him with
Discovers' Day?
Who, just who?

When I bought the calender
sure I did not read the fine print.
Didn't think I needed to.

Is it because he and his men
may have brought
smallpox and syphilis

and based on where they landed
didn't really
discover America?

In fact they missed
what they were
sailing for.

It was a shorter route
to the East Indies;
missed by several thousand miles.

We've know this for a long time.
Why take him off
my calender now?

What about the parades-
The Columbus Day Sales-
Am I still going to get 20% off?

No mail today.
Federal employees
Got the day off.

Maybe it's not
Such a big thing?
Do only I miss Columbus?

Tom J. Mariani

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/discovers-day-october-8-2007/