NEWPORT, RI–It was a cold crisp day last Saturday, but bright and clear. The parade is an interesting art form. One picks bits and pieces from it. You can see the military band and get one message. You can look at the green splashed like martyr’s blood in the arena and get several more–I’ve seen Ireland and it’s no more green than New England. But being “green” means something new these days–it’s not just a bunch of shamrocks.
The clowns playing “Tequila Sunrise” offer quite yet another. The viewers want something to scream at while drunk. Somehow the parade goes on, year after year, never really meaning anything coherent. But everyone gets something from it.
I myself like the bagpipes. Don’t know why, they aren’t melodious. But I do, and keep coming back.
Marc Songini 