The Brooklyn Bridge is 120
Years old
And she hardly looks a day
Over 100
I have always loved her
This bridge
This magnificent
Feat of engineering
The space shuttle
Of her day
When she was a mere 88
I threw her a birthday party
At the time
I was working for
Sam Leone
The Brooklyn Borough President
Who was the borough president
When Welcome Back Kotter
Was a hit on TV
When my boss
David E. Cohen
Sam’s deputy
Left town
To have
Some surgery
He told me
To not stir the pot
Or start any
Unauthorized projects
Unless he
Could
Personally
Approve
The idea
Sure boss
I said
After all
How much trouble
Could I possibly cause
That is how
The Brooklyn Bridge’s
88th birthday party
Happened
Naturally
I called in some friends
All of the Brooklyn
City Council members
And one of the local
Neighborhood bakeries
Baked a special cake
I invited the media
And the mayor of NYC
The Hon. John V. Lindsay
Who came with
His entire entourage
And every Manhattan
City Council person too
Me and the Brooklyn Boro Prez
Led our contingent
With all of our borough’s flags
Unfurled
And the folks on the Manhattan side
Did the same
We all met somewhere
In the middle of the bridge
Under those magnificent
Gothic arches
And we shook hands and embraced
Then both sides turned around
And headed for their favorite pubs
To toast the bridge
And ourselves
When my boss returned
From Canada
He started to give me the
Good old whatfor
I heard the ruckus
You kicked up
All the way
In Canada
He said
You all made
The evening TV news
I thought I told you
To cool your jets
While I was away
I know I said
But I just couldn’t
Help myself
I just wanted to see
If I could handle
A big press event
By myself
And it worked
I said showing him
All the newspaper clippings
I even saved you
A piece of the cake
He was smiling
This was usually
A good sign
Well don’t let it go
To your head
He said
Wincing a bit
Where his new stitches pulled
Next thing I know
You’ll be bucking
For my job
And he was right
Because I did
jhmarkowitz
Philadelphia, Pa. 2011
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Sumo Sized Men
I have always
Been a fan
of very large men
And by large
I mean
Sumo wrestler size
Men who make
The earth shake
When they walk
Much like
The ancient
Sauropods did
With their every
Forward step
Sumo wrestler
Sized women?
Not so much
When I was
A kid
Growing up
In Brooklyn
I lived in a neighborhood
Called Bensonhurst
Bensonhurst by the sea
Near the spectacular
And very famous
Verrazano Bridge
Where super sized men
Were more or less
The norm
Big guys
Like Paulie
In the movie
Goodfellas
And just like Paulie
These men
Didn’t move
Very fast
Because
Again just like Paulie
They didn’t have to
Because everyone it seemed
Just got out of their way
It’s no wonder
That men like Paulie
Often became
Debt collectors
For the mob
These bohemoths were intimidating
By their very presence
All they ever had to do
Was to show up
At some dead beat’s
Front door
And before
You could say
Jackie Robinson
Envelopes of cash
Would be quietly
Exchanged
And these boys
Always dressed very well
In custom made suits
Imported from Italy
And hand made in
China town
And they always drove
Beautiful cars
Cadillacs
SUVs
Beemers
And they all spent
Most of their leisure time
In the social clubs
That dotted
The entire length
Along 86th street
An outdoor
Shopping mall
That was eternally
Bathed
In the shadow
Of the el trains
That roared
And rumbled
Over the heads
Of the non stop
Flow of shoppers
86th Street
Was always
A busy place
Made famous
By the car chase scenes
In the French Connection
Where Popeye Doyle the cop
Played by
The one and only
Gene Hackman
Chases a gangster
The entire length
Of the El
In a commandeered car
That he totally wrecks
In the process
Before cornering
The gangster
And shooting him dead
Just like in real life
At least
Like in real life
Brooklyn style
Have New Yorkers
Ever been known
To alter their
Every day
Routines
Just because
Some gangster
Gets blown away
On a subway train
In South Brooklyn?
New Yorkers wouldn’t
Alter their daily routines
Even if it is they themselves
Who are the ones being shot
But I digress
I only bring up the subject
Because my good friend
Bob Sussen
A giant of a man
With an equally
Big heart
Recently passed away
Quite suddenly
Bob was a good friend
And dedicated co-worker
Who punched in for work
Day in and day out
And put in a full
Day’s work
Without complaint
I would often meet him
On the way home
From work
After a long day
And we would both
Be dead tired
And glad to be
Heading home
We would talk the usual
Shop talk
And then
He would close his eyes
For a well deserved nap
Too bad
Bob never got to retire
He always said he
Needed the job
For the health benefits
He would explain
As if he could read
My thoughts
As much as for the salary
I understood
I had to
I am in the same boat
Still
I had always hoped
He’d be able to retire
For at least
A little while
So that he could
Get to know
What it feels like
To just be able
To kick back
And enjoy
A cool summer breeze
On a hot summer day
With an ice cold
Brewski
In one hand
And a slice of pizza
In the other
While the Phillies
Beat the Mets
On TV
Just one more time
Rest in peace
Big fella
Me and all of your friends
Will keep you posted
On the score
jhmarkowitz
Philadelphia, Pa. 2011
Been a fan
of very large men
And by large
I mean
Sumo wrestler size
Men who make
The earth shake
When they walk
Much like
The ancient
Sauropods did
With their every
Forward step
Sumo wrestler
Sized women?
Not so much
When I was
A kid
Growing up
In Brooklyn
I lived in a neighborhood
Called Bensonhurst
Bensonhurst by the sea
Near the spectacular
And very famous
Verrazano Bridge
Where super sized men
Were more or less
The norm
Big guys
Like Paulie
In the movie
Goodfellas
And just like Paulie
These men
Didn’t move
Very fast
Because
Again just like Paulie
They didn’t have to
Because everyone it seemed
Just got out of their way
It’s no wonder
That men like Paulie
Often became
Debt collectors
For the mob
These bohemoths were intimidating
By their very presence
All they ever had to do
Was to show up
At some dead beat’s
Front door
And before
You could say
Jackie Robinson
Envelopes of cash
Would be quietly
Exchanged
And these boys
Always dressed very well
In custom made suits
Imported from Italy
And hand made in
China town
And they always drove
Beautiful cars
Cadillacs
SUVs
Beemers
And they all spent
Most of their leisure time
In the social clubs
That dotted
The entire length
Along 86th street
An outdoor
Shopping mall
That was eternally
Bathed
In the shadow
Of the el trains
That roared
And rumbled
Over the heads
Of the non stop
Flow of shoppers
86th Street
Was always
A busy place
Made famous
By the car chase scenes
In the French Connection
Where Popeye Doyle the cop
Played by
The one and only
Gene Hackman
Chases a gangster
The entire length
Of the El
In a commandeered car
That he totally wrecks
In the process
Before cornering
The gangster
And shooting him dead
Just like in real life
At least
Like in real life
Brooklyn style
Have New Yorkers
Ever been known
To alter their
Every day
Routines
Just because
Some gangster
Gets blown away
On a subway train
In South Brooklyn?
New Yorkers wouldn’t
Alter their daily routines
Even if it is they themselves
Who are the ones being shot
But I digress
I only bring up the subject
Because my good friend
Bob Sussen
A giant of a man
With an equally
Big heart
Recently passed away
Quite suddenly
Bob was a good friend
And dedicated co-worker
Who punched in for work
Day in and day out
And put in a full
Day’s work
Without complaint
I would often meet him
On the way home
From work
After a long day
And we would both
Be dead tired
And glad to be
Heading home
We would talk the usual
Shop talk
And then
He would close his eyes
For a well deserved nap
Too bad
Bob never got to retire
He always said he
Needed the job
For the health benefits
He would explain
As if he could read
My thoughts
As much as for the salary
I understood
I had to
I am in the same boat
Still
I had always hoped
He’d be able to retire
For at least
A little while
So that he could
Get to know
What it feels like
To just be able
To kick back
And enjoy
A cool summer breeze
On a hot summer day
With an ice cold
Brewski
In one hand
And a slice of pizza
In the other
While the Phillies
Beat the Mets
On TV
Just one more time
Rest in peace
Big fella
Me and all of your friends
Will keep you posted
On the score
jhmarkowitz
Philadelphia, Pa. 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
Do Other People Do This?
Do Other People
Do This?
Or maybe it is just me
But I was wondering
Do other people
Do this
Do other people
Especially
Divorced people
Or
Grieving people
Still sometimes
Act and live
As if their spouse
Were still with them
Even years after
The spouse has
Passed away or
Otherwise
Vacated the premises?
For instance
Sometimes
When I get in my car
And I put on the seat belt
I look over to the empty
Seat next to me
As if to ask if she
Is comfortable and
Sometimes
While driving
I find myself
Putting my arm
Around the head rest
Of the empty seat
As if she were
Still sitting there
Sometimes I still have
Arguments with her
In my head
Like we used to do
About directions
And the best route
To take
At home
Especially in winter
I make sure to ask
If she is comfortable
Or if she needs anything
As if she were
Still there
Still sitting
In the big blue
Comfy chair that
I bought especially for her
For her birthday
The one she used to like
So much
As she sat and
Watched TV or
Read a book
I would always
Ask her if she would like
Another blanket or
A glass of juice
Or wine
Or another pillow perhaps
In restaurants
I never feel alone
Even if I happen
To be by myself
I always
Picture her
Sitting there
Looking over the menu
As she was accustomed
To doing
Before the waitress
Would bring us
Our cocktails
In restaurants
I never ordered
Her food for her
She always liked
To do that
For herself
Apparently
She still does
jhmarkowitz
Philadelphia, Pa. 2011
Do This?
Or maybe it is just me
But I was wondering
Do other people
Do this
Do other people
Especially
Divorced people
Or
Grieving people
Still sometimes
Act and live
As if their spouse
Were still with them
Even years after
The spouse has
Passed away or
Otherwise
Vacated the premises?
For instance
Sometimes
When I get in my car
And I put on the seat belt
I look over to the empty
Seat next to me
As if to ask if she
Is comfortable and
Sometimes
While driving
I find myself
Putting my arm
Around the head rest
Of the empty seat
As if she were
Still sitting there
Sometimes I still have
Arguments with her
In my head
Like we used to do
About directions
And the best route
To take
At home
Especially in winter
I make sure to ask
If she is comfortable
Or if she needs anything
As if she were
Still there
Still sitting
In the big blue
Comfy chair that
I bought especially for her
For her birthday
The one she used to like
So much
As she sat and
Watched TV or
Read a book
I would always
Ask her if she would like
Another blanket or
A glass of juice
Or wine
Or another pillow perhaps
In restaurants
I never feel alone
Even if I happen
To be by myself
I always
Picture her
Sitting there
Looking over the menu
As she was accustomed
To doing
Before the waitress
Would bring us
Our cocktails
In restaurants
I never ordered
Her food for her
She always liked
To do that
For herself
Apparently
She still does
jhmarkowitz
Philadelphia, Pa. 2011
I Ran Into Monica
I ran into Monica
The other day
More or less
By accident
On the home bound
Commute
We had not seen
Each other
For the past
Several months
Mostly because
I was strapped for cash
And had been purchasing
Cheaper tickets and
Taking the more
Roundabout route home
I was surprised
When she sat down
Next to me
And began talking
As if we’d been
Seeing each other
Every day
“I thought you moved to
New Jersey?” I said
“Isn’t that what you said
That you wanted to do?”
She just shrugged her
Shapely shoulders
While she checked
Her ruby red lipstick
In her little pocket mirror
Snapping the mirror shut
She simply said
That her plans had changed
I was just about to ask
For her phone number
When she suddenly tells me
That she has been dating
A man who lives in
Montgomery County
For the past eleven years
For the past eleven years?
Now she tells me?
Then she tells me
That this mystery man
Is about to be
Divorced
And that he has promised
To marry her
As soon as the divorce
Becomes final
“You don’t say?” I said
nonchalantly
but to tell the truth
I was flabbergasted!
For the past two years or so
Monica had led me to believe
That she was single and
Free as a bird
As single and unattached
As I was
Now she tells me
That she has been
Seeing this still married man
For the past eleven years
As I said before
I was flabbergasted!
Even though
I had always figured her
For having a screw or two loose
That fact
By itself
Was no deal breaker
Since I have always
Been attracted
To emotionally unstable
women
You might even call it
An occupational hazard
Since I have been
A social worker
For nearly thirty years
But I always made
It a rule
To never date
Women who could be
Clients on my case load
Though it is sometimes
Hard to tell
The difference
Between clients
Currently on my case load
And all the other women
That I happen to bump into
Every day
That said however
I thought that Monica
Might be different
I thought that Monica
Definitely had some
Potential as a future
Mrs. M
Now she tells me
She has been dating
This married guy
For the past eleven years!
As I have previously said
I was flabbergasted!
Then without skipping a beat
Monica next tells me
That she had first met
Her mystery beau
On the bus
During her home bound
Commute
Not surprising
She said
While powdering her nose
He is the bus driver
After all
jhmarkowitz
Philadelphia, Pa. 2011
The other day
More or less
By accident
On the home bound
Commute
We had not seen
Each other
For the past
Several months
Mostly because
I was strapped for cash
And had been purchasing
Cheaper tickets and
Taking the more
Roundabout route home
I was surprised
When she sat down
Next to me
And began talking
As if we’d been
Seeing each other
Every day
“I thought you moved to
New Jersey?” I said
“Isn’t that what you said
That you wanted to do?”
She just shrugged her
Shapely shoulders
While she checked
Her ruby red lipstick
In her little pocket mirror
Snapping the mirror shut
She simply said
That her plans had changed
I was just about to ask
For her phone number
When she suddenly tells me
That she has been dating
A man who lives in
Montgomery County
For the past eleven years
For the past eleven years?
Now she tells me?
Then she tells me
That this mystery man
Is about to be
Divorced
And that he has promised
To marry her
As soon as the divorce
Becomes final
“You don’t say?” I said
nonchalantly
but to tell the truth
I was flabbergasted!
For the past two years or so
Monica had led me to believe
That she was single and
Free as a bird
As single and unattached
As I was
Now she tells me
That she has been
Seeing this still married man
For the past eleven years
As I said before
I was flabbergasted!
Even though
I had always figured her
For having a screw or two loose
That fact
By itself
Was no deal breaker
Since I have always
Been attracted
To emotionally unstable
women
You might even call it
An occupational hazard
Since I have been
A social worker
For nearly thirty years
But I always made
It a rule
To never date
Women who could be
Clients on my case load
Though it is sometimes
Hard to tell
The difference
Between clients
Currently on my case load
And all the other women
That I happen to bump into
Every day
That said however
I thought that Monica
Might be different
I thought that Monica
Definitely had some
Potential as a future
Mrs. M
Now she tells me
She has been dating
This married guy
For the past eleven years!
As I have previously said
I was flabbergasted!
Then without skipping a beat
Monica next tells me
That she had first met
Her mystery beau
On the bus
During her home bound
Commute
Not surprising
She said
While powdering her nose
He is the bus driver
After all
jhmarkowitz
Philadelphia, Pa. 2011
Science Tells Us
Science tells us
So many
Astonishing things
Of late
That I find it
Very difficult
To keep au courant
Even though
I consider myself
To be
An educated man
For instance
There are more galaxies
In the known universe
Than there are
Grains of sand
On all of the Earth’s beaches
That’s a lot of sand
That’s a lot of galaxies
Currently
According to the
US bureau of the census
There are approximately
6.2 billion people
Living on the Earth
Even as we speak
6.2 billion
That’s a lot of people
That’s a lot of mouths to feed
All of us
Trying to make a living
On this speck of dust
Revolving around
A fairly common
Run of the mill
Middle aged star
That we earthlings
Like to call Sol
Plain old Sol
Good old Sol
Just a little closer to Sol
And Earth would be
An airless, waterless
And lifeless
Piece of rock
Somewhat like Mercury
Poor Mercury
A little farther away
And Earth would be
A frozen snowball in space
Somewhat like Neptune
Poor Neptune
But we are
The fortunate one
We are
So very fortunate
To be in the
Goldilocks Zone
Cosmically speaking
Where it is
Not too hot
Not too cold
But more or less
Just right
That is
Unless we continue
To FUBAR the planet
As we are currently
Trying so hard to do
In our own
Inimitable fashion
Aren’t we cute?
These facts
Taken as a whole
Are disturbing enough
And it makes me wonder
Why we all
Have so much
Trouble getting along
With each other
Given that we are
All living
In the same boat
In the same house
Same house
Different bedrooms
A few of us
Are lucky enough
To have
Indoor plumbing
And
Clean drinking water
And
Enough food
To make ourselves become
Morbidly obese
Others of us
Are not so lucky
No indoor plumbing
No clean drinking water
Not enough food to eat
To ward off
Beri-Beri
Rickets
Pellagra
And a host
Of other diseases
Primarily caused
By not having
Enough food to eat
So why do we all
Have so much
Trouble
Just getting along?
Is it because
We are not
Just individual people?
When I see you
What am I seeing?
Are you merely
A single unit
Of humanity
Put together
By happenstance?
Or are you
An entire universe
Unto yourself
Containing
Billions and billions
Of galaxies of your own
As numerous
As all the grains
Of sand on Earth?
If I greet you
As the universe
Of complexity
That you are
Containing
All that is known
And unknown
If I greet you
Knowing that
You contain
Within you
All that is
Mysterious
And glorious
And wonderful
And awe inspiring
Wouldn’t I feel
Compelled
Compelled!
To regard you
In a whole
New light?
Perhaps
We should
All change
Our names
To reflect
The names
Of all the known
And unknown
Galaxies
That surround us:
Milky Way
Andromeda
Cartwheel
Pinwheel
Sombrero
Sunflower
Tadpole
Centauri
Whirlpool
You get the idea
Maybe then
We will begin
To really see
Each other
As the
Magical
Noble
And
Wholly worthy
Beings
That we truly are
We are stardust
We are golden
And we’ve got
To get ourselves
Back to the Garden
Lyrics by Joni Mitchell
jhmarkowitz
Philadelphia, Pa. 2011
So many
Astonishing things
Of late
That I find it
Very difficult
To keep au courant
Even though
I consider myself
To be
An educated man
For instance
There are more galaxies
In the known universe
Than there are
Grains of sand
On all of the Earth’s beaches
That’s a lot of sand
That’s a lot of galaxies
Currently
According to the
US bureau of the census
There are approximately
6.2 billion people
Living on the Earth
Even as we speak
6.2 billion
That’s a lot of people
That’s a lot of mouths to feed
All of us
Trying to make a living
On this speck of dust
Revolving around
A fairly common
Run of the mill
Middle aged star
That we earthlings
Like to call Sol
Plain old Sol
Good old Sol
Just a little closer to Sol
And Earth would be
An airless, waterless
And lifeless
Piece of rock
Somewhat like Mercury
Poor Mercury
A little farther away
And Earth would be
A frozen snowball in space
Somewhat like Neptune
Poor Neptune
But we are
The fortunate one
We are
So very fortunate
To be in the
Goldilocks Zone
Cosmically speaking
Where it is
Not too hot
Not too cold
But more or less
Just right
That is
Unless we continue
To FUBAR the planet
As we are currently
Trying so hard to do
In our own
Inimitable fashion
Aren’t we cute?
These facts
Taken as a whole
Are disturbing enough
And it makes me wonder
Why we all
Have so much
Trouble getting along
With each other
Given that we are
All living
In the same boat
In the same house
Same house
Different bedrooms
A few of us
Are lucky enough
To have
Indoor plumbing
And
Clean drinking water
And
Enough food
To make ourselves become
Morbidly obese
Others of us
Are not so lucky
No indoor plumbing
No clean drinking water
Not enough food to eat
To ward off
Beri-Beri
Rickets
Pellagra
And a host
Of other diseases
Primarily caused
By not having
Enough food to eat
So why do we all
Have so much
Trouble
Just getting along?
Is it because
We are not
Just individual people?
When I see you
What am I seeing?
Are you merely
A single unit
Of humanity
Put together
By happenstance?
Or are you
An entire universe
Unto yourself
Containing
Billions and billions
Of galaxies of your own
As numerous
As all the grains
Of sand on Earth?
If I greet you
As the universe
Of complexity
That you are
Containing
All that is known
And unknown
If I greet you
Knowing that
You contain
Within you
All that is
Mysterious
And glorious
And wonderful
And awe inspiring
Wouldn’t I feel
Compelled
Compelled!
To regard you
In a whole
New light?
Perhaps
We should
All change
Our names
To reflect
The names
Of all the known
And unknown
Galaxies
That surround us:
Milky Way
Andromeda
Cartwheel
Pinwheel
Sombrero
Sunflower
Tadpole
Centauri
Whirlpool
You get the idea
Maybe then
We will begin
To really see
Each other
As the
Magical
Noble
And
Wholly worthy
Beings
That we truly are
We are stardust
We are golden
And we’ve got
To get ourselves
Back to the Garden
Lyrics by Joni Mitchell
jhmarkowitz
Philadelphia, Pa. 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Your Goddamn Betty Davis Eyes
All right
I finally get it
You really
Do not
Want
Anything more
To do with me
I get it
I understand
Watch
See?
I am raising
The white flag
Of surrender
Stars shining bright above you
Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"
Birds singing in the sycamore trees
Dream a little dream of me.
However
There is one last
Remaining
Problem that is causing
Me a lot of grief
I still have
All
Of your old
Photos
You know
The ones
We took
When
We were
So happy
together
Say nighty-night and kiss me
Just hold me tight and tell me you’ll miss me
While I’m alone and blue as can be
Dream a little dream of me.
Believe me
I have tried
Several different
Times
To either
Tear up the pictures
Or to send them back
To you
But I still have them
Unable to do either
Stars fading but I linger on dear
Still craving your kiss
I’m longing to linger till dawn dear
Just saying this
There is one photo
In particular
The one of you
Simply smiling
Back at me
Through the camera lens
Some balmy autumn day
When we were out and about
Just glad to be together
I just can’t bear
To let the picture go
Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
But in your dreams whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me.
I suppose
It’s your eyes
Your big brown
Betty Davis eyes
Yeah that’s
The reason
It’s your eyes!
Damn it!
Your goddamn
Big brown
Betty Davis eyes!
Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
But in your dreams whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me.
Yes
Dear
Will you please try
Please just try
For old times sake
If for no other reason
To once in a while
Dream a little dream of me?
Stars Shining Bright Above You
By Louis Armstrong
jhmarkowitz
Philadelphia, Pa. 2011
I finally get it
You really
Do not
Want
Anything more
To do with me
I get it
I understand
Watch
See?
I am raising
The white flag
Of surrender
Stars shining bright above you
Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"
Birds singing in the sycamore trees
Dream a little dream of me.
However
There is one last
Remaining
Problem that is causing
Me a lot of grief
I still have
All
Of your old
Photos
You know
The ones
We took
When
We were
So happy
together
Say nighty-night and kiss me
Just hold me tight and tell me you’ll miss me
While I’m alone and blue as can be
Dream a little dream of me.
Believe me
I have tried
Several different
Times
To either
Tear up the pictures
Or to send them back
To you
But I still have them
Unable to do either
Stars fading but I linger on dear
Still craving your kiss
I’m longing to linger till dawn dear
Just saying this
There is one photo
In particular
The one of you
Simply smiling
Back at me
Through the camera lens
Some balmy autumn day
When we were out and about
Just glad to be together
I just can’t bear
To let the picture go
Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
But in your dreams whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me.
I suppose
It’s your eyes
Your big brown
Betty Davis eyes
Yeah that’s
The reason
It’s your eyes!
Damn it!
Your goddamn
Big brown
Betty Davis eyes!
Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
But in your dreams whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me.
Yes
Dear
Will you please try
Please just try
For old times sake
If for no other reason
To once in a while
Dream a little dream of me?
Stars Shining Bright Above You
By Louis Armstrong
jhmarkowitz
Philadelphia, Pa. 2011
The Revolution Has Been Televised
The revolution
Has been televised
And compromised
Pasteurized and
Homogenized
Proselytized
Refried and
Despised
Dehumanized and
Categorized
Dehumidified and
Dehydrated
Over rated and
Berated
Castrated and
Syncopated
Demonized and
Simonized
Ionized and
Patronized
Capitalized and
Sterilized
Capsized and
Chastised
Captured and
Co-opted
Repackaged and
Savaged
Mutilated
Folded
Spindled
And repudiated
But mostly it has been
FUBARed
Beyond
All recognition
FUBARed
Beyond
All recognition
So please
My brother
My sister
Please
Do not
Raise
Your fisted
Hand to me
I am a POW
Of the cause
I am a casualty
Of the war
All of my erstwhile
Ideals
Have been left
On the editor’s
Cutting room
Floor
I have seen
Too many
Of my former
Colleagues
Warriors
Barristers
Lawyers
Gangsters
And fellow travelers
Convicts
And Inmates
Co-workers
Co-conspirators
Union organizers
Dedicated teachers
Preachers and
Social workers
Social engineers
Aspiring politicians and
Gifted musicians
Poets and
Painters
Reindeer
And goat
Herders
Berated and
Demeaned
Vilified and
Horrified
Glorified and
Crucified
Immobilized and
Categorized
Specialized and
Professionalized
Neutralized and
Gratified
Stratified and
Satisfied
Magnified and
Recognized
Unrecognized
Abused and
Neglected
Like a one legged
Step child
The revolution
Is beyond
Salvaging
Restructuring or
Resurrecting or
Self-Correcting
It cannot be
Remedied or rescued
It has been
Premeditated and
Over inflated
Berated and
Degraded
Persuaded and
Incubated
Intubated and
Deflated
Coroneted and
Deposed
Reposed and
Exposed
Debated and
Masturbated
Celebrated and
Prostituted
Procrastinated and
Debunked
Defunked and
Skunked
Clunked and
Up chucked
Cuckolded and
Aborted
Adulterated and
Punctured
Raped and
Manhandled
Mishandled
Mislabeled
Misidentified and
Misplaced
It has been
Misappropriated and
Maltreated
But mostly
Mostly
It has just been
FUBARed
FUBARed
Beyond all
Recognition
Maya Angelou
May well claim
To know
Why the caged
Bird sings
But I’ll be
Motherfucked
If I do
jhmarkowitz
Philadelphia, Pa. 2011
Has been televised
And compromised
Pasteurized and
Homogenized
Proselytized
Refried and
Despised
Dehumanized and
Categorized
Dehumidified and
Dehydrated
Over rated and
Berated
Castrated and
Syncopated
Demonized and
Simonized
Ionized and
Patronized
Capitalized and
Sterilized
Capsized and
Chastised
Captured and
Co-opted
Repackaged and
Savaged
Mutilated
Folded
Spindled
And repudiated
But mostly it has been
FUBARed
Beyond
All recognition
FUBARed
Beyond
All recognition
So please
My brother
My sister
Please
Do not
Raise
Your fisted
Hand to me
I am a POW
Of the cause
I am a casualty
Of the war
All of my erstwhile
Ideals
Have been left
On the editor’s
Cutting room
Floor
I have seen
Too many
Of my former
Colleagues
Warriors
Barristers
Lawyers
Gangsters
And fellow travelers
Convicts
And Inmates
Co-workers
Co-conspirators
Union organizers
Dedicated teachers
Preachers and
Social workers
Social engineers
Aspiring politicians and
Gifted musicians
Poets and
Painters
Reindeer
And goat
Herders
Berated and
Demeaned
Vilified and
Horrified
Glorified and
Crucified
Immobilized and
Categorized
Specialized and
Professionalized
Neutralized and
Gratified
Stratified and
Satisfied
Magnified and
Recognized
Unrecognized
Abused and
Neglected
Like a one legged
Step child
The revolution
Is beyond
Salvaging
Restructuring or
Resurrecting or
Self-Correcting
It cannot be
Remedied or rescued
It has been
Premeditated and
Over inflated
Berated and
Degraded
Persuaded and
Incubated
Intubated and
Deflated
Coroneted and
Deposed
Reposed and
Exposed
Debated and
Masturbated
Celebrated and
Prostituted
Procrastinated and
Debunked
Defunked and
Skunked
Clunked and
Up chucked
Cuckolded and
Aborted
Adulterated and
Punctured
Raped and
Manhandled
Mishandled
Mislabeled
Misidentified and
Misplaced
It has been
Misappropriated and
Maltreated
But mostly
Mostly
It has just been
FUBARed
FUBARed
Beyond all
Recognition
Maya Angelou
May well claim
To know
Why the caged
Bird sings
But I’ll be
Motherfucked
If I do
jhmarkowitz
Philadelphia, Pa. 2011
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