A poem by Alan Dugan
As an American traveler I have
to remember not to get actionably mad
about the way things are around here.
Tomorrow I’ll be a thousand miles away
from the way it is around here. I will
keep my temper, I will not kill the dog
next door, nor will I kill the next-door wife,
both of whom are crazy and aggressive
and think they live at the center of culture
like everyone else in this college town.
This is because I’m leaving, I’m taking off
by car, by light plane, by jet, by taxicab,
for some place else a thousand miles away,
so I caution myself: control your rage,
even if it causes a slight heart attack.
Stay out of jail tonight before you leave,
and don’t get obstreperous in transit tomorrow
so as to stay out of jail on arrival tomorrow night.
Think: the new handcuffs are sharp inside
and meant to cut the wrists. You’re not too old
to be raped in their filthy overcrowded jails
and you’ll lose your glasses and false teeth.
How would you eat, study and be
a traveling lecturer if you got out alive and sane?
So remember to leave this place peacefully,
it’s only Asshole State University at Nowheresville,
and remember to get to the next place peacefully,
it’s only Nowhere State University at Assholesville
and you must travel from place to place for food and shelter.
A few random poems:
- Human Charms
- Николай Заболоцкий – Меркнут знаки зодиака
- Conversation
- Bitterness by Philip Levine
- I Salute You , O Women! by Ms Tabzeer Yaseen
- Law, Like Love by W H Auden
- The Ravaged Face by Sylvia Plath
- Stanzas by William Wordsworth
- Some Say by Mark Miller
- Three Portraits Of Prince Charles poem – Andrew Lang poems
- English Poetry. Francis Turner Palgrave. A Churchyard in Oxfordshire. Фрэнсис Тернер Палгрев.
- Fog poem – Amy Clampitt poems | Poems and Poetry
- The Inheritance by Thomas J Camp
- Coole Park, 1929 by William Butler Yeats
- Robin Redbreast by William Allingham
External links
Bat’s Poetry Page – more poetry by Fledermaus
Talking Writing Monster’s Page –
Batty Writing – the bat’s idle chatter, thoughts, ideas and observations, all original, all fresh
Poems in English
- Robert Burns: The Flowery Banks Of Cree:
- Robert Burns: Young Jamie, Pride Of A’ The Plain:
- Robert Burns: A Red, Red Rose: [Hear Red, Red Rose]
- Robert Burns: A Vision:
- Robert Burns: The Minstrel At Lincluden:
- Robert Burns: A Fiddler In The North:
- Robert Burns: Wilt Thou Be My Dearie?:
- Robert Burns: Remorseful Apology:
- Robert Burns: Complimentary Epigram On Maria Riddell:
- Robert Burns: Address Spoken by Miss Fontenelle on her Benefit Night, December 4th, 1793, at the Theatre, Dumfries.:
- Robert Burns: My Spouse Nancy:
- Robert Burns: On Mrs. Riddell’s Birthday:
- Robert Burns: Thine Am I, My Faithful Fair:
- Robert Burns: Deluded Swain, The Pleasure:
- Robert Burns: Where Are The Joys I have Met?:
- Robert Burns: Thou Hast Left Me Ever, Jamie:
- Robert Burns: Down The Burn, Davie:
- Robert Burns: Behold The Hour, The Boat Arrive:
- Robert Burns: Robert Bruce’s March To Bannockburn:
- Robert Burns: Dainty Davie:
More external links (open in a new tab):
Doska or the Board – write anything
Search engines:
Yandex – the best search engine for searches in Russian (and the best overall image search engine, in any language, anywhere)
Qwant – the best search engine for searches in French, German as well as Romance and Germanic languages.
Ecosia – a search engine that supposedly… plants trees
Duckduckgo – the real alternative and a search engine that actually works. Without much censorship or partisan politics.
Yahoo– yes, it’s still around, amazingly, miraculously, incredibly, but now it seems to be powered by Bing.
Parallel Translations of Poetry
The Poetry Repository – an online library of poems, poetry, verse and poetic works
Alan Dugan (1923 – 2003) an American poet, a contemporary classic of American poetry.