The Fraser River by Mike Yuan
unlike the far more famous nile surging ahead with sweat of old africa or the much mightier huanghe bursting with torrential tears of all china from glamorous glaciers deep in the rockies you are perfectly pure to breasfeed my vancouver the super sweetheart of north america (aug.30, 2004) End of the poem 15 random poems […]
Not even a child by Miles
Not even a child by Miles Time after time you asked if I was abandoned We both know it what you would have done if you were sadened with yes there was no exception no criminal sense nothing you could have done to plead your defense with me with you with my mother came almost […]
Baltimore Was Always Blue by Michael Salcman
Baltimore Was Always Blue by Michael Salcman Goodbye America of the blue overalls and steel-toed boots, goodbye, goodbye. The headline in The Sun said it all today in type as tall as the re-election of a president: General Motors Closes Its Broening Highway Plant. Don’t you remember when they said what was good for GM […]
The Rock Cries Out to Us Today by Maya Angelou
A Rock, A River, A Tree Hosts to species long since departed, Mark the mastodon. The dinosaur, who left dry tokens Of their sojourn here On our planet floor, Any broad alarm of their of their hastening doom Is lost in the gloom of dust and ages. But today, the Rock cries out to us, […]
New York’s Bad Dream by Matthew Abuelo
New York’s Bad Dream by Matthew Abuelo New York used to be a squatters town and a misfits town and a union town. This is where you could find a cheap room at the Chelsea or the Dexter House with a bathroom down the hall. Or at the Commander. Many SROs vanished into the remains […]
New York’s Last Gleanings by Matthew Abuelo
New York’s Last Gleanings by Matthew Abuelo New York used to be a squatters town and a misfits town and a union town. This is where you could find a cheap room at the Chelsea or the Dexter House with a bathroom down the hall. Or at the Commander. Many SROs vanished into the remains […]
In the Park by Maxine Kumin
In the Park by Maxine Kumin You have forty-nine days between death and rebirth if you’re a Buddhist. Even the smallest soul could swim the English Channel in that time or climb, like a ten-month-old child, every step of the Washington Monument to travel across, up, down, over or through –you won’t know till you […]
A Dream of Rodney King by Mary TallMountain
All we have in this country are police and women. You can’t complain to the police because they might arrest you. Your boyfriend is a police, your college professor, your reverend minister, boss, fireman… but they won’t tell you. This is the planet we live on. The police are like an explosion behind you always […]
Visiting a Dead Man on a Summer Day by Marge Piercy
In flat America, in Chicago, Graceland cemetery on the German North Side. Forty feet of Corinthian candle celebrate Pullman embedded lonely raisin in a cake of concrete. The Potter Palmers float in an island parthenon. Barons of hogfat, railroads and wheat are postmarked with angels and lambs. But the Getty tomb: white, snow patterned in […]
Scars on Paper by Marilyn Hacker
Scars on Paper by Marilyn Hacker An unwrapped icon, too potent to touch, she freed my breasts from the camp Empire dress. Now one of them’s the shadow of a breast with a lost object’s half-life, with as much life as an anecdotal photograph: me, Kim and Iva, all stripped to the waist, hiking near […]
Paragraphs from a Day-Book by Marilyn Hacker
Paragraphs from a Day-Book by Marilyn Hacker Cherry-ripe: dark sweet burlats, scarlet reverchons firm-fleshed and tart in the mouth bigarreaux, peach-and-white napoléons as the harvest moves north from Provence to the banks of the Yonne (they grow napoléons in Washington State now). Before that, garriguettes, from Périgord, in wooden punnets afterwards, peaches: yellow-fleshed, white, moss-skinned […]
Attack of the Squash People by Marge Piercy
And thus the people every year in the valley of humid July did sacrifice themselves to the long green phallic god and eat and eat and eat. They’re coming, they’re on us, the long striped gourds, the silky babies, the hairy adolescents, the lumpy vast adults like the trunks of green elephants. Recite fifty zucchini […]
Mama, Come Back by Nellie Wong
Mama, come back. Why did you leave now that I am learning you? The landlady next door how she apologizes for my rough brown skin to her tenant from Hong Kong as if I were her daughter, as if she were you. How do I say I miss you your scolding your presence your roast […]
My Invisible Valentine by Nin Andrews
Facts off CNN, February 14 84% of Americans say they’re in love this morning. 16% say they’re not. No undecideds, unlike every other poll. People are evenly divided over whether Valentine’s Day matters, though one reporter said she felt sorry for all those who have nobody to be their valentine. Even if it’s true that […]
Faith Healing by Philip Larkin
Slowly the women file to where he stands Upright in rimless glasses, silver hair, Dark suit, white collar. Stewards tirelessly Persuade them onwards to his voice and hands, Within whose warm spring rain of loving care Each dwells some twenty seconds. Now, dear child, What’s wrong, the deep American voice demands, And, scarcely pausing, goes […]
The New World by Philip Levine
The New World by Philip Levine A man roams the streets with a basket of freestone peaches hollering, “Peaches, peaches, yellow freestone peaches for sale.” My grandfather in his prime could outshout the Tigers of Wrath or the factory whistles along the river. Hamtramck hungered for yellow freestone peaches, downriver wakened from a dream of […]
Late Light by Philip Levine
Late Light by Philip Levine Rain filled the streets once a year, rising almost to door and window sills, battering walls and roofs until it cleaned away the mess we’d made. My father told me this, he told me it ran downtown and spilled into the river, which in turn emptied finally into the sea. […]
In A Light Time by Philip Levine
In A Light Time by Philip Levine The alder shudders in the April winds off the moon. No one is awake and yet sunlight streams across the hundred still beds of the public wards for children. At ten do we truly sleep in a blessed sleep guarded by angels and social workers? Do we dream […]
For The Country by Philip Levine
For The Country by Philip Levine THE DREAM This has nothing to do with war or the end of the world. She dreams there are gray starlings on the winter lawn and the buds of next year’s oranges alongside this year’s oranges, and the sun is still up, a watery circle of fire settling into […]
Clouds Above The Sea by Philip Levine
Clouds Above The Sea by Philip Levine My father and mother, two tiny figures, side by side, facing the clouds that move in from the Atlantic. August, ’33. The whole weight of the rain to come, the weight of all that has fallen on their houses gathers for a last onslaught, and yet they hold, […]
On Friendship by Phillis Wheatley
Let amicitia in her ample reign Extend her notes to a Celestial strain Benevolent far more divinely Bright Amor like me doth triumph at the sight When my thoughts in gratitude imploy Mental Imaginations give me Joy Now let my thoughts in Contemplation steer The Footsteps of the Superlative fair Boston July 15 1769 End […]
His Excellency General Washington by Phillis Wheatley
Celestial choir! enthron’d in realms of light, Columbia’s scenes of glorious toils I write. While freedom’s cause her anxious breast alarms, She flashes dreadful in refulgent arms. See mother earth her offspring’s fate bemoan, And nations gaze at scenes before unknown! See the bright beams of heaven’s revolving light Involved in sorrows and the veil […]
On Friendship by Phillis Wheatley
Let amicitia in her ample reign Extend her notes to a Celestial strain Benevolent far more divinely Bright Amor like me doth triumph at the sight When my thoughts in gratitude imploy Mental Imaginations give me Joy Now let my thoughts in Contemplation steer The Footsteps of the Superlative fair Boston July 15 1769 End […]
America by Phillis Wheatley
New England first a wilderness was found Till for a continent ’twas destin’d round From feild to feild the savage monsters run E’r yet Brittania had her work begun Thy Power, O Liberty, makes strong the weak And (wond’rous instinct) Ethiopians speak Sometimes by Simile, a victory’s won A certain lady had an only son […]
To The Right Honourable William, Earl Of Dartmouth, His Majesty’s Principal Secretary Of The State For North-America, by Phillis Wheatley
HAIL, happy day, when, smiling like the morn, Fair Freedom rose New-England to adorn: The northern clime beneath her genial ray, Dartmouth, congratulates thy blissful sway: Elate with hope her race no longer mourns, Each soul expands, each grateful bosom burns, While in thine hand with pleasure we behold The silken reins, and Freedom’s charms […]
To a Lady on Her Coming to North-America by Phillis Wheatley
Indulgent muse! my grov’ling mind inspire, And fill my bosom with celestial fire. See from Jamaica’s fervid shore she moves, Like the fair mother of the blooming loves, When from above the Goddess with her hand Fans the soft breeze, and lights upon the land; Thus she on Neptune’s wat’ry realm reclin’d Appear’d, and thus […]
One Being Brought From Africa To America by Phillis Wheatley
‘TWAS mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand That there’s a God, that there’s a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought now knew, Some view our sable race with scornful eye, ‘Their colour is a diabolic die.’ Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain, May be refin’d, and join […]
On The Death Of Rev. Mr. George Whitefield by Phillis Wheatley
HAIL, happy saint, on thine immortal throne, Possest of glory, life, and bliss unknown; We hear no more the music of thy tongue, Thy wonted auditories cease to throng. Thy sermons in unequall’d accents flow’d, And ev’ry bosom with devotion glow’d; Thou didst in strains of eloquence refin’d Inflame the heart, and captivate the mind. […]
On The Death Of Dr. Samuel Marshall by Phillis Wheatley
THROUGH thickest glooms look back, immortal shade, On that confusion which thy death has made: Or from Olympus’ height look down, and see A Town involv’d in grief bereft of thee. Thy Lucy sees thee mingle with the dead, And rends the graceful tresses from her head, Wild in her woe, with grief unknown opprest […]
On Being Brought from Africa to America by Phillis Wheatley
‘Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand That there’s a God, that there’s a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. Some view our sable race with scornful eye, “Their colour is a diabolic die.” Remember, Christians, Negro’s, black as Cain, May be refin’d, and join […]
An Answer To The Rebus, By The Author Of These Poems by Phillis Wheatley
The poet asks, and Phillis can’t refuse To show th’ obedience of the Infant muse. She knows the Quail of most inviting taste Fed Israel’s army in the dreary waste; And what’s on Britain’s royal standard borne, But the tall, graceful, rampant Unicorn? The Emerald with a vivid verdure glows Among the gems which regal […]
A Farewel To America to Mrs. S. W. by Phillis Wheatley
I. ADIEU, New-England’s smiling meads, Adieu, the flow’ry plain: I leave thine op’ning charms, O spring, And tempt the roaring main. II. In vain for me the flow’rets rise, And boast their gaudy pride, While here beneath the northern skies I mourn for health deny’d. III. Celestial maid of rosy hue, O let me feel […]
Teenager by Patrick Connors
Teenager by Patrick Connors Look out the wind-blown window Through the evergreen tree gone bare Sun unseen lights the grey sky Of air so cold even time is slowed Until a bitter, vengeful gust Threatens to take down the tree The snow-covered roof of the house – All which is on the horizon; Try to […]
Untitled by Quincy Troupe
Untitled by Quincy Troupe in brussels, eye sat in the grand place cafe & heard duke’s place, played after salsa between the old majestic architecture, jazz bouncing off all that gilded gold history snoring complacently there flowers all over the ground, up inside the sound the old white band jammin the music tight & heavy, […]
Poets
Poets This growing section contains notes of biographical nature. These are extra brief biographies of poets. These notes are used in the so-called author boxes below the author’s avatar and, when at least partially complete, they will appear as a separate page. [lwptoc] C Crowley, English Aleister Crowley (1875-1947) was an English poet and […]
THE DANGERS OF AN HONEST MAN IN MUCH COMPANY by Abraham Cowley
THE DANGERS OF AN HONEST MAN IN MUCH COMPANY. If twenty thousand naked Americans were not able to resist the assaults of but twenty well-armed Spaniards, I see little possibility for one honest man to defend himself against twenty thousand knaves, who are all furnished cap-à-pie with the defensive arms of worldly prudence, and the offensive, too, of […]
New Hampshire by Robert Frost
I met a lady from the South who said (You won’t believe she said it, but she said it): “None of my family ever worked, or had A thing to sell.” I don’t suppose the work Much matters. You may work for all of me. I’ve seen the time I’ve had to work myself. The […]
A Fountain, a Bottle, a Donkey’s Ears, and Some Books by Robert Frost
Old Davis owned a solid mica mountain In Dalton that would someday make his fortune. There’d been some Boston people out to see it: And experts said that deep down in the mountain The mica sheets were big as plate-glass windows. He’d like to take me there and show it to me. “I’ll tell you […]
No, Love Is Not Dead by Robert Desnos
No, Love Is Not Dead by Robert Desnos No, love is not dead in this heart these eyes and this mouth that announced the start of its own funeral. Listen, I’ve had enough of the picturesque, the colorful and the charming. I love love, its tenderness and cruelty. My love has only one name, one […]
America by Robert Creeley
America by Robert Creeley America, you ode for reality! Give back the people you took. Let the sun shine again on the four corners of the world you thought of first but do not own, or keep like a convenience. People are your own word, you invented that locus and term. Here, you said and […]