Poem by Charles Frederickson; Graphic by Saknarin Chinayote
The Israeli government has given final approval for more than 900 new homes in occupied East Jerusalem. . . . Har Homa is one of the largest and most controversial Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem. It is regarded, under international law, as occupied Palestinian land, but Israel says it is part of its territory. --Wyre Davies, BBC News, Jerusalem, 4 August 2011
Forged passport to anywhere else
Delayed departure cancellations never arriving
Unscheduled stopover compounded interest accrued
Stranded suffering neglect since 1948
Tellers windows barred lending transactions
Corrugated promises soulless savings withdrawals
Banking on counterfeit frayed IOU’s
Discredited life savings loans IMFucked
Sanitized excuses choked silence hush
Tomorrow’s starry twinkle wondrous spitfire
Wished upon No Man’s Homeland
Magna Charta uncivil wronged rights
Polyglot accent setting aliens apart
Naked truth falsehoods running scared
Shameless angst settling tsuris aggravation
Nativity Chutzpah infinity beyond reach
Residence permit disputed borderlines reconfigured
Visa expired Nothing to Declare
Pleated map folds cellophane enveloped
Suffocating barely awakened gritty dreamscape
Unholy war hostage to happenstance
Urgent pleas begging pacifist mercy
Hawks swooping lonesome doves roosts
Abandoned cote hopeful feathers plucked
Unscheduled stopover compounded interest accrued
Stranded suffering neglect since 1948
Tellers windows barred lending transactions
Corrugated promises soulless savings withdrawals
Banking on counterfeit frayed IOU’s
Discredited life savings loans IMFucked
Sanitized excuses choked silence hush
Tomorrow’s starry twinkle wondrous spitfire
Wished upon No Man’s Homeland
Magna Charta uncivil wronged rights
Polyglot accent setting aliens apart
Naked truth falsehoods running scared
Shameless angst settling tsuris aggravation
Nativity Chutzpah infinity beyond reach
Residence permit disputed borderlines reconfigured
Visa expired Nothing to Declare
Pleated map folds cellophane enveloped
Suffocating barely awakened gritty dreamscape
Unholy war hostage to happenstance
Urgent pleas begging pacifist mercy
Hawks swooping lonesome doves roosts
Abandoned cote hopeful feathers plucked
No Holds Bard Dr. Charles Frederickson & Saknarin Chinayote together comprise PoeArtry. Flutter Press has just published Charles’ new chapbook fanTHAIsies.
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