They never tell you
whether October 12
was Columbus' birthday
or the day he discovered
America

and somehow America
makes every October 12
a Monday

and if there had never
been a Columbus
there'd be no school holiday,

Paul and Carol would choose
some other weekend
to marry

I'd have stayed in New York
waiting for you to return
from your nephew's funeral
(who was also named Christopher)

there'd have been no reunion
no gathering together

you'd have grown up in Italy,
I'd have lived in Leeds, England,
there'd be no reason to be here.