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section c
on this page:
26. a breath 27. The flutter of air 28. and so i 29. She's flying
30. History arrives 31. spectator sport 32. With closed poet
eyes 33. all the songs 34. and so it has been said 35. only this
moment 36. The blackest of times 37. a quiet blessing 38. wavin
in debris/refrain
26.
a breath
a breath further, a step into
the bottomless house of existence, airless.
a short day, lifted up from debris,
a dream's skeleton in suffocated blood,
out of creation a blackbird, fallen silent, half a
man, too sore to cry
a devastated bone - and the last
brass-knuckled idol
stepping out of the smoke
driving into the vise
rock and sun
all holes open towards the ground.
earth, a droning day
before the end of breath
a barefisted punch, further,
a downfall, a silent
scream of pain
earth, razed,
disfigured in debris and fear
--panta rhei
27.
The flutter of air
As it stirs
Under and around
This pacing figure
Who dwells
Like a shark in a lagoon
In this dark room pool
Of stagnant frustration
And stark figments of
White hot feathers in the blue breeze
His thoughts turn
As the pounding of dusty socks
Subsides
And the air turns ominously still
Without motivation
Smooth involuntary surrender
As this genius of blunder
Rests in his cave
For the moment
--starryclaire
28.
and so i
am here
and you
are there
no fair
but now
all we need is
a bottle of wine
to share
and a corkscrew
and a couple of
stem glasses
and some poetry
truths poured out
from me to you
prayers sparkling
off the lost
and the hopefuls
as we make flower
arrangements
sent to
the grieving
women who have lost
their husbands under
the crumbling of defense
and a spouse missing
in the blast of planes flying
into the sheer glass sides of us
since nothing's making sense
and that was just today
tomorrow, there will be
more orders
and yesterday
i heard some Pakistani
next door neighbors of a friend
of a friend of a friend of a friend
were actually in their backyard
laughing
can you imagine that?
laughing!!!
well, of course
there was talk
on the other side
of a fence about
disrespect
go ahead and call it whatever way
you think you see it out of ignorance,
blame the game of insignificance
but know this
i didn't put your ancestors in slavery!
that was more years ago than i can count
and i wasn't even alive
and if you want to judge someone
by skin color and come up
with a contrivance of
he said this and
she said that
and what do you think of that
and don't you think there's the
possibility that they are doing this
and that's the reason he or she is
acting this way?
damn the judgments of
ignorance!!!!!
nothing much has changed
i guess when the freaking
insignificances creep in
like snakes wrapped around
minds, entwined with
pointed fingers
bent on finding
answers
ok fine.
blame whoever.
then send
floral arrangements
to the families of the dead
and cry.
lord help us all
when people try
in vain
to answer
never knowns
with acid blame!
hey, i don't know about you
but i've got my corkscrew
and i finally found the
stem of me
and the glass
isn't shattered
yet.
i drink to peace
pre-dawn of our forget
and wonder still
who will be named
and blamed responsible
by ignorance in need
of blood that's
already been let.
i send flower arrangements
which will die on the stem
to those who point their fingers
saying, "it is them".
i plant some ivy
to encompass gardens
to protect us
from condemn.
--doreen peri
29.
She's flying
at every step
soaring
like raindrops falling
on the holy
grail water
ever youthful
ever pure and radiantly wonderful
her eyes melt me down to tears
a rare little smile my way
and i see the light
praise the lord girl, praise the lord.
--Alex Kugel
30.
History arrives
for its own ends
shooting tongues of flame
decending into the bomb of time
what are we
always just around the corner
visions that we hold dear
people go
down an endless hallway
the black opening into a sunset
into the lamp lit abyss
where you left your smile
hanging on a coat rack
only moments ago
now only infinite silence
where you were
are we doomed to repeat
the obscene ritual played
on scenes of radical destruction
a fist of red idols
holds the faceless object
for a moment as in a dream
flags unfurl
above the scorched promiced land
existance explodes
then fades
the jagged fragment of event
comes in its death heads
golden towers
toy colossal mountains with fire teeth
entering the neck of eternity
the city of nothingness reflects colors
newspaper flame nights fill the void
of feeling, bits of gods body rains down
the vortex of names detached from bodys
tha day is a sweep of change
the naked truth comes to rest
time and light cry together
--dajazzcat
31.
spectator sport
helmets and oven mits
catch the hot wax from crusted eyes
Look at the virgin Mary but not too long
can't loose yourself in it
don't want to let go of pride
the only obstace that seperates man from God
step stools and ancient promises
can't find the answers in fortune cookies
but I like chinese food
and 'wisdom' is good for desert
sustains bellys longer than eggs
I wouldnt say I'm apt to this
birth inclined
honestly I just stumbled
left my savior back there in youth
and trying to regain to purge
but it doesn't work
the faucet will always drip
few friends I have lick it up
provide a little more flavor
to salvation kool-aid
it's not sweet though
bitter and acidic
suckin on pennies
trying to keep a straight face
and explain myself
have a little justice
some reason behind
beyond all these 'thats just the way it is'
cuz its too simple
and it is giving up
I don't want to be a cop out
drunken prophet teetering on the edge of the world
half sitting on nests I've made
concrete
and I still find a way to chew
settling?
has the sediment become comfortable in my shoes
stepping on jagged rocks for balance
don't think I need it anymore
still here though
black lights and candle scents
same music I've listened to since 16
same face, same mindstate
just got a few more words
and more experiences
scars under a belt that doesn't hold my pants up
gotta stand up to join in the revolution
but where is it
hand in hand dancing in cocentrics
makin new crop circles for the heavens to notice
--robertsnw
32.
With closed poet eyes,
dim, beyond the dust,
we see the horror
we feel the sorrow--
like the coats of paper on the street,
we group together,
forming a blanket of emotions,
shared,
not knowing what tomorrow brings
nor who was hurt,
only knowing how we feel,
as one,
as a country in fear and mourning--
seeking retribution,
vengence befitting coward killers,
hidden behind masks of 'Ideals'
and self-righteousness.
Together WE stand,
saying "NO, we will not bow down"
thinking "WE ARE HERE"
in this country--
our collective was changed
by the hands of ignorance,
yet we rise.
--j. griffin clark
33.
all the songs sound wrong
they have voices not recognised before
all the bombs have gone off
they don't sleep outside the door
all the people are talking, yelling
they didn't yesterday, that's for sure
all my head has gone to hell
and everyone wants to watch more
all my dreams have gone insane
the violence creeps in behind the eyes
all my friends have felt the pain
all i hear are goodbyes
where's my roof gone?
where's my bed?
where were my parents
protecting me from ghosts of dead?
you have given me something to worry about
something to care
i thank you
while i curse you
and you pull the world by the root of its hair
-unexpected-
i saw the plane crash
crash
crash
crash
crash
crash
crash
before my eyes
a hundred times, a thousand times
there are no more lies
only crimes
i read the news today, oh boy
about a madman who flew a plane
he blew his mind out in new york
he tried to end his life that day
a crowd of people stood and cried
they couldn't see his face
no one knew that day how things would change
i'd love to turn you on
tuesday, bloody tuesday
it's all gone to smoke
i have a short memory
but late thursday night i choked
may you live in interesting times
pleaded my voice
and a group of terrorists listened
as if it were my choice
we are now
bigger than we were
we are stronger
we are mightier
we are learned
we are knowledgeable
we are wiser
we are sadder
we are depressed
we are weak
we are lowly
we are dead
we are one.
today i am happy
it has been a wonderful time
the grass was green
and the hills stared at me and i stared right back
and everything was quiet
the birds sang
people sang
the sunset was beautiful
i was content
though we only had sticks and stones.
--coolazice
34.
and so it has been said
'everything is perfect as it is'
perfect destruction
perfect falling of towers
perfect pentagon hit
perfect crash into wilderness
perfect grief
perfect sorrow
perfect pain
perfect horror
perfect nationalism
perfect unification
perfect responses
perfect paranoia
perfect bigotry
perfect hatred
perfect forethoughts
perfect news coverage
perfect prayers
perfect condolences
perfect confusion
perfect rescue efforts
perfect partnerships
perfect redemptions
perfect villains
perfect heroes
perfect remembrances
perfect fears
perfect unknowing
perfect ignorance
perfect foolishness
perfect losses
perfect gains
but-
perfect understanding
has yet to arrive....
perfect comprehension
in this moment in time
perfect
--cecil
35.
only this moment
that is all i have
yesterday a memory
filled with dust
tomorrow a date
on the calendar
not really here
in this moment
politicians rail
their faces a mask
howling revenge
attack and attack
a better world
rising from the
broken spires i see
a lonely dove
looking for a
flock of white
calm serene light
in the dark
heal the fear
touch the faces
of those distraught
assure life goes on
make the most
of each day
worry not about
tomorrow...it never comes
now
is
all
there
is
visualize
realize
internalize
--sooZen
36.
The blackest of times
need not take out our light
as long as we can breathe
we can love
the tainted silence
of a planet lost at war
cannot fall down
we are the saviours of dreams too denied
in heaven the stars hold you dear
with gentle ease
spreading light
over this darkened night.
We're singing songs of freedom
and love that seems too lost
not lost.....merely misplaced
for a while
till the world learns to smile.
--onthebus2002
37.
a quiet blessing
to burst the armed guard
surrounding the brains that rule
a gentle look
from soul to soul
to thicken thoughts of peace
wake up the fools
who need their tanks to burst
before they split their own gutless groin
show them the path
from root to crown
to overcome ego laden grandeur
dear dalai lama
is it presumptuous of me
to beg you to save our century?
--judih
38.
wavin in debris
bloody stars
our symbol
unification
concrete horrors
tricklin in
to the heart
of a nation
an atrocity
unto a nation
under god
green eyed
monster terrorist
tryin to break
the pillar
of old glory
still standin
legs stronger
more infinite
screw fortunes told
we are one
we are american
--bluavery
refrain
(white light around us
white light found us)
--markk
(note: these poems originally appeared on www.litkicks.com.
they are used here by permission of the authors.
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