BS: Poems Not Fit for the White House

Subject: RE: BS: Poems Not Fit for the White House
From: Willie-O
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 03:01 PM

If, as Laura Bush is reported to have said "Poetry should not be used for political purposes", the next thing I hope she'll get Shrub to do will be to officially retire that dreadful piece of doggerel "The Star-Spangled Banner", 'n bury it deep.

Willie-O

Subject: RE: BS: Poems Not Fit for the White House
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 02:56 PM

EARTH POEM
by Mahmoud Darwish tr. by Abdullah Al-Udhari

A dull evening in a run-down village
Eyes half asleep
I recall thirty years
And five wars
I swear the future keeps
My ear of corn
And the singer croons
About a fire and some strangers
And the evening is just another evening
And the singer croons

And they asked him:
Why do you sing?
And he answered:
I sing because I sing
.......
And they searched his chest
But could only find his heart
And they searched his heart
But could only find his people
And they searched his voice
But could only find his grief
And they searched his grief
But could only find his prison
And they searched his prison
But could only see themselves in chains

Subject: RE: BS: Poems Not Fit for the White House
From: KarlMarx
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 02:34 PM

Does that poem mean that Boy George needs ridlin . . . ?

Subject: RE: BS: Poems Not Fit for the White House
From: harvey andrews
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 02:27 PM

A very apposite verse for dear George by Philip Larkin;

They fuck you up, your mum and dad.
They may not mean to, but they do.
They fill you with the faults they had
And add some extra, just for you.

Subject: RE: BS: Poems Not Fit for the White House
From: KarlMarx
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 01:52 PM

Thanks . . .

Subject: BS: Poems Not Fit for the White House
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 01:47 PM

There will be a demonstration at NY's Lincoln Center tomorrow night, February 17th, sponsored by Not in Our Name, and Poets Against the War. You can read more about other actions, triggered by the cancellation by Laura Bush, of a poetry symposium scheduled to have been held last Wedensday at the White House.

You can read about it at the Artists Network of Refuse & Resist here:

http://www.artistsnetwork.org/news8/news353.html

And you can also donate money to pay for an ad on the NY Times Op Ed page tomorrow here, at the Poets Against the War website:

http://poetsagainstthewar.org/