EMBRACING CHAOS – By Ray Gallucci The eye of a hurricane never can know How forcefully all its surrounding winds blow. For there in the center all’s peacefully calm While swirling around are explosions of bombs. But center is where all the chaos begins — In vertical columns air rises then spins. While most relish lull, others seek out the […]
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Blood and Tears. War and Hate. Death and Destruction. Hell and Fate. I am dead because I’m not you. What you said? Hate is not true. Why cleanse me? Are you blind? We are brothers. Open your mind. Why ignore that? It’s a fact. We’re both human, so don’t attack. I pity you with your dead. […]
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HERO OR ZERO? To die on the battlefield leading a charge, Your body upon a shield, burned in a barge – An image heroic of Viking portrayal Approvingly stoic, quite worthy of hail. The fireman rushing pall-mall into blaze As on 9-11, the last of his days. No body recovered from building’s collapse. Just wife, children, mother to […]
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By The Yellow Light by, Melissa R. Mendelson I was nine when my parents got divorced. I could hear them arguing downstairs as I clutched Teddy in my arms. I always felt safe in this house. I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to stay with my mother, and for awhile, I did. But then my father came and […]
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To The One Who Desires To Be Me what life is left in me to be desired? me, the wayward wing of a brawny bluebird that lost its grip on the tiptop of a fruit tree fell flat on the heart of a wretched rock where rains washed all traces of its milky memories far far away i live on […]
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My Poor Mother’s Country Land by, Melissa R. Mendelson Green earth sways and rolls. This is my mother’s home, But mother, please forgive me. They don’t know the wrong they’ve done. Blue skies have fallen. The gray clouds have come, And here comes the thunder, Rolling in, Screaming at all they’ve done. Chorus: What have they done? […]
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Goodnight Sweet City Goodnight by Mike Matter Goodnight sweet city, goodnight Hold your evening close by and ready the mid-morning-missed realization of sunrise Fly your noise through the heights of the rich and poor alike then scatter your ash over the higher A dream lies filled with visions of height and glory seasoned with an agonizing challenge, joy, grandiose […]
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Big Bang for Little Billy This was the first Christmas Billy was old enough to speak when he saw his gifts under the sparkling tree. His parents were waiting to hear what he’d say. Billy laughed and jumped and clapped his hands. With a big smile, he shouted “Santa brought me these!” Then Daddy picked Billy up, bounced him on his knee and whispered […]
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SMALL BEFORE THE SEA We have only pictures, A journal and rubble From what was a fixture To keep ships from trouble. A lighthouse, built sturdy, On Unimak island Around 1940, With Coast Guard as client. Five Guardsmen were manning The station that morning, Both horn and beam spanning The sea with their warning. At […]
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Living Outside the Box – By Mankh The Empire likes to put people in boxes, from airy crib to nailed-tight casket and in-between in psychological boxes, wrapped identities with ornate bows but never bowing with humility, packages to be delivered, opened, liked, disliked, discarded, shelved for coffee table conversation starters scripted performances fearing surprises yet jack-in-the-box can provide pleasant giggles […]
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