I wrote a new poem after I came back home after my favorite July activity — participating in the 87th annual Independence Day Parade, organized by the Rotary in Sunland Tujunga. "Freedom is not free" — we heard at the Holiday concert at the Hollywood Bowl - with a tribute to our armed forces... So I wrote about freedom, why not? After all, here in the U.S. we are free! In 1776, the colonists decided to liberate themselves from the yoke of the Empire, the British power stretching "from sea to shining sea" around the world. And yet, a small group of brave freedom-lovers stood up to oppose the global hegemony of the King. The first act of freedom — rejecting the "divine right" of the monarchy to rule over its subjects. (My "oath of citizenship" in Canada still stated "I swear allegiance to the Queen and to be a loyal and faithful subject..." — I really prefer to swear allegiance to the flag these days...)
Freedom is not Free
Someone works to keep it.
Someone stands guard for the republic.
Semper Fides. Always Faithful.
Would I be brave enough
to stand guard with them?
Freedom is not free.
I work hard to win it for myself.
I strive to not be swayed left or right.
I stand tall with the eyes on the prize ahead.
My steps — on the straight and narrow.
Free —
from vain ambitions, obsessions,
sorrows, fears, resentments and regrets.
Free —
to live well, create, speak up,
care for, share joy, and love.
“I am —You are — We are”—this love,
the glue that holds the cosmos together,
in harmony — a forgotten word —
“harmony” — the order of beauty and peace.
What is freedom?
Cosmos, not chaos. Harmony, not discord.
Gratitude. Divine perfection blooming in all.
Red-white-and-blue waving in the breeze.
Fireworks in July evening sky.
Maja Trochimczyk, © 4 July 2024
Two poets in red-white-and-blue - with Alice Pero, CSPS Monthly contest Chair and the former Poet Laureate of Sunland Tujunga. We are very patriotic and festive, with tri-color umbrellas, flag-themed scarves, and clothes. In addition, I have a Polish wreath of red and white flowers on my hat... the Polish flag is red and white, without the blue...
Joe DeCenzo, Grand Marshall, with Josefina Gutierrez, Alice Pero and Maja
The Grand Marshall, Joe DeCenzo prepares the flag for his "cherry picker" - a good choice of vehicle, given the fondness of George Washington for cherries and blooming cherry alleys in Washington, D.C. According to Joe, "the use of the truck was donated by Roland Gutierrez who was very helpful and generous (the truck is from BK Signs). He was also very diligent in keeping pace with the parade. And he got out of the vehicle to request one of the motorcycle riders go and seek the assistance of police when 200 people spilled out onto the street when Danny Trejo was hit with water balloons."
The presidential couple - George Washington with Martha, that is, Joe DeCenzo,
the Grand Marshall of the 2024 Parade with Josefina Gutierrez, in well-selected 18th-century costumes — complete with Joe's three-cornered hat, white wig, and golden buckles
on the shoes.
Martin, our driver, with Poet Laureate of the Foothills 2024 - Kathleen Travers
(and somewhere below, her dog)
George and Martha Washington put their flag with a circle of stars on the cherry-picker truck. Previously Pamela Shea, Poet Laureate in 2017, rode the Parade in a costume as Betsy Ross, the maker of this flag... On the 4th of July we celebrate the birth of the republic.
The presidential couple is ready to roll... among soap bubbles from the truck of State Senator Caroline Menjivar who should win the trophy for "best sport" - since she rode an ice-cream vendor bicycle and gave away free popsicles to children watching the parade. How nice! Not pompous and stuffy but a people's person...
These are not bombsup there in the skyonly fireworksIt's the Fourth of July!Bursting to celebratefreedom for all,sparkling promisesbegin to fall(c) Marlene Hitt
My "Independence Day" poem was given out as a postcard previously in two parades already. It is time for a new Independence and freedom poem! I wrote it after the 2024 parade and it is copied above, but it does not have a postcard yet!
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Independence DayRed — are the rocks of the Grand CanyonWhite — are the mountains, covered with snowBlue — are the waves of Pacific OceanRed, White and Blue — colors of all.Red — is the Earth from which we comeWhite — is the Air that fills our lungsBlue — is the Water inside us, with StardustRed, White and Blue — connected in all.Red — is pure Love, deep in our heartsWhite — is the Brightness of our mindsBlue — is the Peace of well-lived livesRed, White and Blue — freedom for all.(C) 2018 by Maja Trochimczyk
Again, I distributed the card with poem from Bright Skies - a version of a poem written for one person (Today ,I'm perfect), now transformed from singular into plural mode — so it is a poem about all of us, about our strengths, our perfection, celebrated together. Today we are perfect!
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Today – For Us
We are a miracle of life.
We do what we want,
we want what we do.We are perfect!
We are a cosmic tree growing
by the calm lake of light.
Its smooth, opal surface
reflects the sun’s smiling face.
Our roots drink pure nectar.
Our crown sparkles with stars.
Our leaves are green with peace.
Our flowers are gold with joy.
Our fruit is ripe with wisdom.
We are a living miracle.We are perfect!
From noon to midnight.
from midnight to noon,
we love what we do,
we do what we love.
We are — we shine —
we are one with the One.We are perfect!
(c) 2022 by Maja Trochimczyk, from "Bright Skies"
The problem with this poem, converted from a different version, is that every time I read it I want to change it. Therefore here, below the postcard with the text from 2022, is a new version of 2024. Maybe I'll put it on the next postcard, or maybe I'll change it again. The poem does sound better to me this time, but it also may keep evolving. In this instability, it is also perfect!
The parade sign should say "Independence Day Parade" but the 4th is shorter, apparently.
Who is not in the parade is on the sidelines watching it. The whole community comes out!
Greetings from the Grand Marshall, under the Jacaranda blooms.
Joe DeCenzo, who had allowed the poets to use his own convertible for 12 years, and who was active in all the parades I've been in since 2010, was elected the Grand Marshall in 2024. He had the following to say about the Independence Day Parade:
"Our 4th of July Parade is the single most unifying event of the year here in the foothills. Regardless of your background or cultural origin, the celebration of our independence 248 years ago gives us cause to wave our arms and raise our voices in cheer. The ideals set forth in the Declaration are ambitious yet highly attainable as with each generation we move a little closer to honoring those principles. My deepest appreciation to the Sunland-Tujunga-Shadow Hills Rotary Club for keeping this tradition alive for more than 55 years. It was positively thrilling for me to serve as the Grand Marshal and to see thousands of our neighbors lining Foothill Blvd. cheering in concert for our hard-won liberties."
Joe continued: "My beloved Josefina Gutierrez was excited to play dress-up and accompany me as Martha Washington. July 4th is particularly meaningful for her. Four years ago she passed the U.S. Citizenship test and took the official oath to become a naturalized citizen of the United States of America."
Josefina says, "In Mexico, we have many colorful parades, but this is the best! Riding in the parade, I see many kinds of faces, people from many countries saluting the flag of our country where we have more freedoms."
A brief video from the Parade, notice that the dirt bikers in the next parade entry had tons of fun! They amused the audience with their tricks, riding on one wheel, making circles...
The best biker, though, was State Senator Caroline Menjivar, who rode an ice-cream seller's bike with a big box and gave away popsicles to kids on the roadside.
At night, fireworks tear the indigo fabric
The visual cacophony echoes the loudness
of sound explosions imagined by
that quaint musical genius, Charles Ives.
The orderly march of brass anthems
scatters into the chaos of laughter -
a child's delight - the Fourth of July.
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2022: https://villagepoets.blogspot.com/2022/07/happy-independence-day-2022-village.html
State Senator Caroline Menjivar riding a bike with popsicles for kids watching the parade.
The Poets' Convertible with current and former Poets Laureate, Kathleen Travers with
the umbrella (current), and Alice Pero in the white hat (former). (Their "Passing of the Laurels" ceremony happened not too long ago). I gave out postcards, so I walked the whole route. Alas, I ran out of them before the end. We have to print more next year.
Alice Pero commented about the poets' presence in the parade: "a wonderful experience seeing the hundreds of shining faces and hearing 'Happy 4th!' reverberating through the air. People seemed honestly awed that poets rode in the parade. Several of my former poetry students spotted me in the car and were surprised and delighted. We were not hit by a single spray of water though I would have appreciated it in the heat." While there was no water showers onto the convertible, the back of my dress got wet - upon my request, no less. Kids were showering with water other kids. Boy Scouts in the parade had water guns and had a water fight with their friends on the sidewalk. Not solemn and respectful, but still fun!
Maja With her basket, now empty, Roland Gutierrez who donated "cherry-picker" use for Grand Marshall Joe DeCenzo,. Here with Josephine as George and Martha Washington.
After the parade: Kathleen Travers, current Poet Laureate, Joe DeCenzo, josephine, Alice Pero, Maja Trochimczyk
My 2024 costume was a result of last minute decisions — to add one scarf as a ribbon pinned with roses to the bottom of the old navy dress, then to make a bow of the other scarf, and put the Polish red-and-white flower wreath on top of my standard Independence Day white hat with navy and red stars. Without the diagonal sash I sported often in years past, this costume worked! I got many compliments about my attire along the route — "your dress is so beautiful! Can i take a picture?" I felt like a real star of the parade! It helps to work really hard and walk the whole route!
I am so proud to say that I started the tradition of poets in the parade. In 2010 after I was elected Poet Laureate of Sunland Tujunga, I rented a convertible for $130, asked my kids to join me and a friend to become a driver for us in a fancy hat - and there we were, proud parade attendees! The idea to walk and give out postcards came much later when our group of Village Poets increased in size and there was not enough room in the convertible.
First Poets' Convertible with Elizabeth Kanski as driver, Anna Harley Trochimczyk and me in the front seat. In 2010 we have not figured out yet that we can sit on top of the car, to be more visible.
Since I ended my term, we used Joe DeCenzo's convertible for the parade care. Even if it is 20 years old, it still looks good covered with flowers, flags, and diverse decor. When Dorothy Skiles was the poet laureate, she ordered magnets with single words in red and blue, that could be combined on the car to form mini-poems, and these magnets have served us well since then. One year, Joe ordered a banner for Village Poets, another year, he walked in front of the banner with an Irish folk drum. Those where the days... of endless fun. For my first parade I wrote the following poem, focusing on the amazing composition of Charles Ives, that I think should be played every year at the Hollywood Bowl to celebrate the Independence Day....
The Color GuardAbove the hills' crooked spine, clouds dissolveinto the azure. A red rose lazily unfolds its petals.Mr. Lincoln blossoms by the birch tree,glowing with the innocence of lost summers.White bark hides among green leaves.pale oleander spills over the picket fence,shines against the deepest blue of the iris.Its yellow heart matches sunshine's goldbouncing off the brilliant sphere of stamensin the bridal silk of matilla poppies.My garden presents the colors at noon
dressed in the red, white and blue of the flag.
At night, fireworks tear the indigo fabric
into light ribbons and multicolored sparks.
The visual cacophony echoes the loudness
of sound explosions imagined by
that quaint musical genius, Charles Ives.
The orderly march of brass anthems
scatters into the chaos of laughter -
a child's delight - the Fourth of July.
(C) Maja Trochimczyk, 2011.
My parents in Abu Dhabi, where my father worked for 20 years.
The 4th is not all joy, fireworks and laughter for me. In 2013, my Mom died on the 4th July in the morning, in a Polish hospital after a brief illness and a long ten years of being in poor health - since that horrid bullet in her lung caused an amputation of one-third of it. Two centimeters from the heart, the doctors' said. My dad faired worse after that fatal April 2000 day, he died in May 2001, having spent most of the year in the hospital, with multiple blood transfusions, dialysis, and surgeries. When Mom died, I decided to not cancel my participation in the parade, in festive attire - I decided that that was what she would have loved - to see me in the parade. She loved life and sharing joy above all!
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John Trumbull's 1819 painting, Declaration of Independence, depicting the five-man drafting committee of the Declaration presenting their work to the Congress. The painting can be found on the back of the U.S. $2 bill. The original hangs in the US Capitol rotunda. It does not represent a real ceremony. From Wikimedia Commons.
Independence Day is honoring the Declaration of Independence of former British colonies from their colonial masters. The signatories payed a price with their lives for this act of celebrating freedom. As my poem above says, "freedom is not free." Here is a summary of what happened to the 46 signatories of the Declaration of Independence after their rebellious act.
Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the revolutionary army, another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the revolutionary war.They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
What kind of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners, men of means, well educated. But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.Vandals or soldiers or both, looted the properties of Ellery, Clymer, Hall, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. The owner quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.John Hart was driven from his wife’s bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart. Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged: ‘For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.’”
~Michael W. Smith
We have not been asked to make such sacrifices yet for the wellbeing of our country, but that time may come and we should be ready. Meanwhile we should walk "the straight and narrow path" of the Oath of Allegiance, celebrate the Independence Day in "red -white-and-blue", volunteer for community organizations, and be good neighbors in our communities.
Susan Rogers, Josephine, Joe DeCenzo, Barbara Nowicka, and Maja Trochimczyk, 2018.
VILLAGE POETS AT THE PARADE IN THE PAST
Josephine, Joe, Beata Czajkowska, Bory Thach, Ambika Talwar, Elzbieta Czajkowska, Maja, 2022
California State Poetry Society poets at the Parade: Maja Trochimczyk (President), Bory Thach (Editor) and Ambika Talwar (Secretary) in 2022.
2018 (with text and music for America the Beautiful): https://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2018/07/independence-or-interdependence.html
Marlene and Joe Hitt as Grand Marshalls, 2017.
Maja and Marlene Hitt, 2018
Elsa Frausto, Joe DeCenzo, Dorothy Skiles, Marlene Hitt, Maja Trochimczyk, 2015
Joe DeCenzo with second Irish drummer in the parade, 2015
Dorothy Skiles, Maja Trochimczyk, Marlene Hitt, 2013
2013 (with parade photos): http://villagepoets.blogspot.com/2013/08/jessica-wilson-and-jason-brain-co.html
Maja as Poet Laureate in 2011
2011 (with 2010 photos): https://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2011/07/joy-in-red-white-and-blue.html
Photo by Susan Rogers, 2011
The very first Poets Convertible with its passengers - Maja and Ania! July 2010. The same scarf that ornamented my 2024 dress, back then served as a ribbon on my hat and a bowtie for my daughter... In 2011, the bowtie was on my white dress, the hat remained the same. If it continues, that scarf would have to be placed in a museum!
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