Poetry


• A PACIFIST REFLECTION ON THE TERROR WARS - Charles Kruger
• MAKE THE PIE HIGHER - George W. Bush
• What’s Wrong - Panos Douvos
• Qué ha pasado? What has happened? - Susana C De Leon
• MISSION TO THE EAST - John Haag
• Still Free - Sherry Chovan

A PACIFIST REFLECTION
ON THE TERROR WARS

by Charles Kruger

I am almost ashamed
To speak of my horror
At the rebirth of patriotism
Out of the holocaust of innocence.
It is patriotism that breeds the terror.
That old drum beat in the blood.
Horror begets horror and I am loath
To be present at this birth.

Each death matters.
And each death that follows will matter.

I want to have the faith
To affirm my absolute patriotism
Even when faced with the massacre of the innocent.

But absolute pacifism requires confidence
In the presence of a good God, or else
There is no point in so called “spiritual values”.
And if there is a good God,
It seems She is absent, if such terror can be unleashed.
But then, the world has never had a shortage of horrors.

To live fully, one must stand for something.
And to stand for something one must be resolute.
Many will speak of the necessary costs of waging a just war.
At the risk of shame and misunderstanding
I could do worse, I think, than to stand firm
In my willingness to speak
Of the necessary costs of waging peace.

************

MAKE THE PIE HIGHER

by George W. Bush

I think we all agree, the past is over.
This is still a dangerous world.
It's a world of madmen and uncertainty and potential mental losses.
Rarely is the question asked, Is the children learning?
Will the highways of the Internet become more few?
How many hands have I shaked?
They misunderestimate me.
I am a pitbull on the pantleg of opportunity.
I know that the human being and the fish can coexist.
Families is where our nation finds hope, where our wings take dream.
Put food on your family!
Knock down the tollbooth!
Vulcanize society!
Make the pie higher! Make the pie higher!

*************

What’s Wrong

By Panos Douvos

What have we done wrong
we only protect our national (oil) interests
bribe an Arab goon king or two
what’s wrong with that

are they angry at our SUV’s and heavy wallets
why are these dark Arab peasants upset
if they have a problem
we can squash them like bugs
what’s wrong with that

we steal their human basics
back their goon-leaders
but they’re our goon-leaders
what’s wrong with that

they have a beef we sound the drums
send in the black and brown boys
preserve our oilocracy
loot their lands pollute the world
they look at us cross-eyed
we nuke their ass
what’s wrong with that

so it is known
dad owns oil in Saudi-Arabia
dad owns Devils-brand oil wells
and come tomorrow will own
the whole heil world

what’s wrong with that

************

Qué ha pasado?
What has happened?

by Susana C De Leon

Por qué mi corazon esta cansado?
Y porque mi cuerpo ya pesado?
Mi inspirasion por la vida se ha calmado
Por qué esta preucupasion intensa?
Y porque esta desesperacion inmensa?
Esta separasion de cuerpo y alma me quita la calma
Mi cuerpo como un harbol delata su existensia en sus ramificasiones y capas en el tronco
Cansada estoy esperando que mi dia venga pronto
Y mis pasos cuidadosos de no caer por cualquier tonto
Porque mi corazon cansado esta de querer tanto
Sigo por estas calles caminando
Al mundo siempre observando
Corazones contemplando
Mi vida amansando
Tu mente experimentando
Y mi inteligencia aumentando
Porque aunque este mundo no me quiera
Por no ser como cualquiera
Pronto mi alma explotara en el universo
Pero antes traisionada en carne solo por un beso
Solo por un peso
Entonces mientras mi tiempo toma su evolucion
Mi alma se prepara para esta revolucion
Y traspasa la geometria de toda tentasion
Porque el rey de este sistema siempre busca mi participasion
En cualquier situacion
Y influirme hasta con una cansion
Pero no me aflijo porque el juego de la vida es mi diversion
De la cual hablo en cada conversasion
Asi es que t˙ que caminas delante de mi, no me jusgues por mi fragilida
Porque me buscaras al final de esta calamidad
Porque consiente dijistes estar
Pero ha este mundo todabia te gusta contemplar


What has happened?

Why is my heart now tired?
And why is my body now heavy?
My inspiration for life is now calm
Why this intense worrying?
And why this immense desperation?
This separation of body and soul takes my patience
My body like a tree notates its existence in its ramifications and layers in the trunk
Tired I am waiting for my day to come soon
And my steps cautious not to fall for any fool
Cause tired is my heart of loving till itís full
I continue through this streets walking
This world always observing
Hearts contemplating
My life taming
Your mind experimenting
And my intelligence increasing
Cause even though this world doesnít love me
For not being like any other
Soon my soul will explode into the universe
But before, betrayed in flesh with a kiss
Only for a buck
So meanwhile my time takes its evolution
My soul prepares itself for this revolution
And trespasses the geometry of all temptation
Cause the king of this System always looks for my participation
In any situation
And tries to influence me even with a song
But I donít worry cause the game of life is my diversion
Of which I speak of in any conversation
So there for you who walks ahead of me, do not judge me for my fragility
Cause you will look for me at the end of this calamity
Conscious you said you were
But still this world you like to contemplate

*************

MISSION TO THE EAST

By John Haag

It’s strange to feel tranquil, almost at peace
up here above it all, snugly enclosed,
our complex eggs packed close behind the nose,
while shrieking bombers race us to the East.
The clouds break up to show us bits of sea,
the navigator checks our way to land,
the bomb release fits firmly in my hand:
it all seems ordered, just as it should be.
For us so long familiar with the sky,
(not thinking now that when our bomb-clouds rise,
they’ll fuse the earth and tear apart the skies)
it’s only natural that men should fly.
How calmly, with a clean and shaven face,
I ride the mission that may end the race.

************

Still Free

by Sherry Chovan

sometimes the world just speaks
it says to me, "excuse me brown girl,
are you having fun, are you happy 'hon?"
And me I'll smile and say, "who me honey, look at this place look at the smile on my face" I'm bathing in god's grace
Even if sometimes my emotions seem displaced
I know my place saving grace not running around a maze in the rat race I know I don't need new shoes I already got the finest kicks with no lace.
I don't need make-up 'cause I'm not trying to save face.
I don't need to cover my scars I know the patterns they make are truly the key to my heart.
I don't need to find my place in this society 'cause I don't want to be a part of you,
you want to be a part of me.
My black, brown, red, yellow family.
I don't need to brush my teeth, I could just go chew on a leaf and then have some hot tea.
But Big Brother got some of y’all out there thinking your Free because you've got two TV's.
But I know how to cure disease with a tree.
And I know someone wants to ask, "black girl who you think you be?"
And I'll smile and say don't you recognize me?
I'm an ant, a bear, a tree.
I'm Free and your lies can't stop me.
Your planes can't drop me.
Your crimes can't shock me.
'Cause my hair is nappy, and my sprits happy.
Even thought your prisons got me locked inside, your schools try to wash away my ethnic pride, you've shown me tools to dye my eyes, reshape my thighs, and shown me places to hide from the sun’s eyes.
You can't stop me 'cause I've got pride and a will to stay alive.
So the ones you've slaughtered won't ever die.
'Cause I'm alive,
and I'll be back for the eagle, the buffalo, as strong as the elephant and quick wit, and beat you' ass with the same whip that forced my ancestors onto you ships.
'Cause even though we lower class we still free,
Even though some of us got three babies and no man, we still Free,
Even though we eat your trash, we still Free,
Even though we ain't got no flag we still Free,
Even if I'm looking sad you ain't got me
Broke still free
Sad still Free
Scarred still Free
Hurt still Free
Mad still Free
Dead still Free
Still Free!
Still Free!
Still Free!

Posted: Tue - October 1, 2002 at 05:55 PM          


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