Freedom Song

if I walk into this place with a can of pop
open it/infringe upon your need to profit
yet stay sober enough not to kill you son
when I drive home after my evening of fun
would you object

I see you nod your head not

then why do you put up this hue and cry
when I ask to bring in alcohol-free beer or wine
because I like the taste of fermented things
yet can’t drink alcohol

profit/profit/profit rules no matter what the human is
and you’ll tell the alcoholic he has to drink
even though the LCBO doesn’t regulate this beverage
to which you object/except that it’s not money
in your pocket/you the responsible citizen supporting
all the responsible things


side bar:

This poem found its genesis in a meal out last night in Leamington, Ontario. We phoned ahead to see if there was a non-alcoholic beer available for one of our number, who is on medication which precludes alcohol. Yet, she does like the taste of a fermented (albeit without alcoholic content) drink. We were told one was available, but on arrival, we were informed that the beverage was not then in stock. We asked if we could bring in our own non-alcoholic beverage and the answer was, no. There was a period of consideration and that was changed to, yes.

Now, the pertinent question becomes, why should anyone be put into that position to begin with and why are liquor laws being applied to non-alcoholic beverages? This is the same issue as that same person bringing a non-alcoholic wine to my daughter’s wedding. She was ultimately charged a corkage fee, which in Ontario is applied to those who bring their own alcoholized wine to a licensed establishment. There seems to be an arbitrary interpretation of the laws in these cases.

One might ask, what the difference is between someone with a medical disability and someone with a medical prerequisite. Probably none, beyond profit. Ontario has a long way to grow in its efforts to grow up.