long time no see
a friend I met years ago
greets me with hugs ...
my immigrant past
now a foreign country
Added: Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, LXIV: "arsenal of democracy"
Arsenal of "Democracy"
attacks on Rafah ...
will the sound of bombings
echo, echoing
in the ears of the World
thousands of miles away
how many charred corpses
must the President witness
before his policy changes?
to the clicking of cameras
the spokesman's mouth opens, closes...
police phalanx ...
a keffiyeh-draped student
sings Fida'i
with his hands at his sides
eyes faraway
protesters
squeezed shoulder to shoulder
thunderous chants
of Cease Fire and Hostage Deal Now
throughout Tel Aviv's night
FYI: The title alludes to Joe Biden's Oct. 19 2023 primetime address, in which he described the American arms industry in Remarkably GlOWING TERMS, noting that, “just as in World War II, today patriotic American workers are building the arsenal of democracy and serving the cause of freedom.” For more, see Salon, "Commentary," Nov. 15, 2023: "Good times for the military-industrial complex": American arms makers cashing in on conflict: But is it truly the arsenal of democracy?)
And Fida'ī" (Lit.: "Fedayeen warrior") is the national anthem of Palestine:
Warrior, warrior, warrior,
Oh my land, the land of the ancestors
Warrior, warrior, warrior,
Oh my people, people of eternity ...
The following entry could be read as a sequel to the last tanka:
Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, X: "Let My People Go"
lingering echoes
from a sea of protesters
in Tel Aviv:
Let My People Go
Elections Now
And Haaretz, June 1: Tens of Thousands of Israelis Protest Ruling Coalition, Demand Hostage Deal Following U.S. Gaza Proposal
Police clashed with protesters in Tel Aviv; A hostage's mother said Biden delivered speech 'because he knows Netanyahu can sabotage the deal.' Hostages families led protests at cabinet members homes across Israel to convince them to accept Biden deal
Added: Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, LXV: "the objectors"
The Objectors
handcuffed
blindfolded and dragged away
by policemen
an Arab Israeli arrested
for her anti-war posts
the White House
in the gathering dark
a lone nurse
on her hunger strike
for Gazan children
Added: Re-Homing in the Maple Land, XXII
another sunrise
after days of rain and wind
the tent cities
grow between highrises, under bridges
along riverbanks and in parks
Added:
the brick shack
with boarded windows
facing a graveyard
in gathering dusk
a torn-up chapbook: I AM
Added:
surging waves
come and go, come and go ...
alone again
in this motel room
I feel your presence
Added: Game Show, 2024, L
grinning ear to ear
after Manhattanhenge's glow
Trump found guilty
FYI: Yahoo!News, May 30: Trump found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records, becoming the first U.S. president to be convicted of criminal charges
The trial lasted a month and a half and was plenty eventful. In addition to the fiery testimonies of Daniels and Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen, Trump was held in contempt of court 10 times and fined $10,000 for violating a gag order against attacking people involved with the trial.
Added: Game Show, 2024, LI
guilty or not guilty,
does it matter?
same old man's crocodile smile
FYI: American crocodiles live in coastal areas throughout the Caribbean and occur at the northern end of their range in south Florida and the Keys.
And USA Today, May 31: Trump campaign doubles previous one-day record fundraising haul after guilty verdict
Former President Donald Trump's campaign says it raised a whopping $34.8 million in small dollar donations after he was convicted Thursday on 34 felony counts in Manhattan.
Added: Game Show, 2024, LII
day after day
unrolling news after news
of the hush money trial ...
can Trump's guilty verdict
patch up this broken world?
Added: Game Show, 2024, LIII
Lost & Found
a Mexican parrot screams
guilty, guilty ...
