Poem by Charles Frederickson; Graphic by Saknarin Chinayote
“I thought poetry could change everything, could change history and could humanize, and I think that the illusion is very necessary to push poets to become involved and to believe, but now I think that poetry changes only the poet.”
--Mahmoud Darwish
--Mahmoud Darwish
Do-gooder intentions paving bumpy gravel
Road rage crumpled map gridlock
Fender bender speed bump dents
Dusty ruts slippery when wet
Soft shoulders shrugged scapular switchblades
Decalcified hollow crossbones echoing skullduggery
Jolly Roger masthead raised spar
Shipwrecked pirates walking splintery gangplank
Dangerous blind straightway concentric rings
Steep wind-up spiral stairwell descent
Crash course downgrade destruction bent
Slinky steel wills won’t yield
Double-crossing yellow line zigzags
Twisted stretch beyond next curve
Wronged right of one-way minefield
Mo U-turns signal blinking caution
Rush-hour traffic jammed down slit
Cutthroat compromise to confrontation motives
Rearview mirror bullyrag hindsight shattered
Myopic focus blurry vision quest
Cul-de-sac impasse no exit strategy
Around the block dead end
Love your enemies hate mongers
Bloated egos inflated on impact
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