No Atrocities for Non Persons

You are a non person
We don't care about you
Only Westerners are human
You don't matter
We don't care...

Our atrocities
Are only atrocities if done
to persons.
You are a non person
So we can bomb you and maim you
You are "collateral" damage.

How dare you raise up
Against us
You terrorists.
Just because we take your land
and kill you non persons
Is no reason to attack us.
We are America
Uncle Sam
Benevolent Dictators of
the World
Bombs R Us
And we don't care
About non persons.


This poem comes out of my anger about the way the West (esp the US) treats people who are non Western. They are viewed as non persons, non human, and don't need our consideration. But one day everyone will have to face that humans are all persons, there is no out group of non persons. Western terrorism exists even if the West can not see this.

The term terrorist is a weighted one and depends on your point of view.

Drive traffic to your Blog

S.L.A.M

S. Sexy, Saucy, Satisfying
L. Loud, Lovable, Lively
A. Amorous, Advanced, Awesome
M. Marvelous, Motivated, More, More, More!

Drive traffic to your Blog

SLAM - Explosive Growth in Performance Poetry

In one year in the 1920's there were only 15 public poetry readings in the whole of the US and 12 of them were by Robert Frost! I would say today that they would number in the tens of thousands. In the 1920's and before that the reading of poetry meant just that - you read the written poem but performance was not expected. Frost had a strong interest in sounds and sound poetry so he was willing to do live performances of his poetry.

In the last 10 years we have seen a tremendous democratization of poetry with a move away from the universities and into the libraries, coffee houses and bars with slam poetry and well attended meetings where poetry gains its voice.

This is a welcome trend and it has liberated poetry from formalism and placed it within the public eye (where it began and belongs).

Performance poetry continues the storytelling tradition of our earliest forbears who lived and declaimed in a pre-literate society.

Long live public poetry!

Drive traffic to your Blog

Attention Rebel Poets: George Elliot Clarke on Spoken versus Written Poetry

What the Spoken Word poet knows that the page-poet has forgotten is, POETRY is meant to be performed. In the Western tradition, it descends from Ancient Greek performances of sagas and plays. EVEN IF a Spoken Word poem LOOKS simple–TOO simple–the only way to know its real power is to read it aloud, for oneself. Eliot said, “No verse is ‘free’ for a poet who wants to do a good job.” I say, “No poem is ‘good’ UNLESS it can be read aloud.” - toronto poet laureate george elliot clarke

This quote sums up why spoken poetry is so powerful and often threatening to academic poets. There is a raw edge to performed poetry - a theatrical component that doesn't sit well with the aridity and extreme objectivity of the academically trained and lauded poet.

The interview that this quote comes from can be accessed here:

It is a thought provoking discussion, suitable reading for any outlaw poets out there...
Drive traffic to your Blog

Qatar Poems - Winter End Blues

I never mourned
the passing of winter
in years gone past
but here in Middle Eastern climes
The cool respite
Is a welcome interlude
From the unrelenting sun
and heat.

So farewell my quarterly friend
I will remember you
as the mercury rises
and the sweat drops
in the country of
the Desert bloom.

Note: I moved to Qatar in 2013 and survived my first Summer. I thought I would never be cold again and the heat in mid summer was relentless. You can hardly walk 10 steps without becoming drenched in sweat. The last 3 months have been very pleasant but as we enter Spring the temperatures are slowly rising, but I now have a different kind of Winter appreciation.

Drive traffic to your Blog

To Do List Found Poetry

This poem was constructed from taking every 3rd word from the To Do list found on my desk today. Enjoy.

Issues templates Physician
35 Action Medical
Next Issues running
What Owens April a Analysis.

Weeks forward Surgeon retreat
CCC State One SME Manoj
Hyperion of match a out a clinicians
HR program to access 210

Is it poetry, I think it is, but feel free to differ. Experimental poetry is fun.

Drive traffic to your Blog

The Combine - Enemy of True Education

The Combine - Enemy of True Education

The Combine
relentlessly
crushes and destroys
the spirits of our young
Learn to sit to stand
to take orders without
thought or conscience.

The Combine furthers
its grips on peon
humanity educating
them for its own interests.

Extinguishing the flame
of true learning
of creativity and
the interests of all
people on the earth.

From the Combine spews forth
pollution of thought and land
of peace
Making filthy lucre
from the misery of
the earths people.

But Look! here come
the forces of the home schooled
unschooled,deschooled.
No longer bowing to the Beast,
Learning freely,
imbibing deeply from the fountains
of true learning.

Cleansed and purified of the
corrupting influences
of schools carrying out
the mandate of the evil,
of those who contaminate the
earth in the name of
Mammon.

Drive traffic to your Blog

The Life Suckers

They crush the spirits
from the children
making them sit up
O so quietly.

Keeping them away
from their natural
curiosity conforming
them to fit
in the constrained
mould of mediocrity.

How many Mozarts, Chopins
da Vincis and Einsteins
have we destroyed
by our passionless
education system.

Drive traffic to your Blog

Camel Dung Flu

Head aching
Nose running
Throat sore
Temperature high

It's not man flu this time
Its flu plus sand
mixed with camel dung
That causes my lungs

To heave and cough
and hurt
Especially when the
hump comes up.

Drive traffic to your Blog

Venting via Poetry

Writing poetry is a very good venting mechanism for those times when you are angry, dissatisfied, annoyed or generally feeling upset. There is a catharsis in capturing your thoughts and reining them in. The Outlaw Poets are very accomplished in this form of venting.

You may in fact surprise yourself. I find that in such venting I often tap into some unconscious thoughts that I was unaware of. The words you use and their tone are often expressions of hidden and unexpressed thoughts.

So if you are angry, get it out and write a poem.

Drive traffic to your Blog

Itinerary

My life has followed
an itinerary
unexpected
in its twists and turns.

I arrived when least expected
and left in
the winds of the
night.

I may come your way
or not
dependent
on
the whims of time.

NZ, Australia
U.S.A
U.K
France
to name a few.

The crossroads determine
my moves
on the itinerary
of life.

Drive traffic to your Blog

Poets Aiming with a Uzi - Head, Heart or Crotch?

"A poet takes aim at one of three areas: the head, the heart or the crotch. Occasionally, all three can be scoped in one piece if you have an eye for poetic detail or if the poet's imagination has an affinity for the uzi. Once in a while a poet comes along who can take aim and ignite every atom in one's being."

Nelson Gary talking about Todd Moore.

Wow - what a great thought. I can be a poetic sniper with a poetic uzi. The imagery is very outlawish. Sometimes I aim for the head, usually the heart and only rarely the crotch. I have certainly had the experience with a poet that Nelson Gary is talking about. The two poets who come to mind who have done this to me are Frank O'Hara and James. K. Baxter.

Drive traffic to your Blog

Guest Post: Master of Your Domain - a response poem

The poem below is a response by Paul Pindris to my poem Poopoo or Sex. My poem in itself was a response to a blog post about a quotation from Charles Bukowski. Paul is a great response poet so look out for him on Google+.

Master of Your Domain

Just minutes can we all forsake
The breaths that most for granted take.
One’s thirst, there’s but three days to slake,
Though weeks to eat, before the grave.
Since Eden’s loss we suffer bare,
And so must have but aught to wear.
The weather, often harsh, indeed,
Demands a refuge ‘gainst that need.

But things that each need to survive
Are more than what keeps us alive.
Regardless of what clock we keep
Eventually we all must sleep.
A wish to put off when to void --
We might delay, but can’t avoid.

The urge to mate, too, ceases not.
With puberty is cast our lot.
Though some immerse in God or Art,
Those carnal thoughts never depart.
If all alone, with no recourse,
A fantasy serves well, of course.

Paul Pindris

Drive traffic to your Blog

The Outlaw Poetry Network

Today I'm putting in a plug for a wonderful site called The Outlaw Poetry Network
This site has fantastic poetry for those renegades, outlaws and rogues who like pure, gut wrenching poetry.

Check this link for an awesome poetry is dangerous poster

Drive traffic to your Blog