LAMENT FOR 250

by Jon Wesick

after the Sumerian "Lament for Ur”

AI-generated graphic by NightCafé for The New Verse News.

Gerald Ford forsook the bicentennial and a putrid wind haunts our hopes.

Abraham Lincoln forsook his top hat and a toxic wind haunts the 14^th Amendment.

FDR forsook the Resolute Desk and a loathsome wind haunts the New Deal.

JFK forsook Camelot and a foul wind haunts the Civil Rights Act.

Daniel Webster forsook oration and a scorching wind haunts the Senate.

Sam Rayburn forsook the rostrum and a blistering wind haunts the House.

John Lewis forsook the floor and a stale wind haunts the Black Caucus.

Clarence Darrow forsook the law and a sweltering wind haunts the courtroom.

Earl Warren forsook his gavel and a noxious wind haunts Miranda.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg forsook her robe and an intrusive wind haunts women’s bodies.

Mother Jones forsook picket lines and a desolate wind haunts the union hall.

Jonas Salk forsook his stethoscope and a pestilent wind haunts iron lungs.

Martin Luther King forsook the pulpit and a corrupt wind haunts the ballot box.

Rosa Parks forsook her bus seat and a lethal wind haunts the EEOC.

Edward R. Murrow forsook his microphone and infectious lies haunt the web.

Admiral Halsey forsook the Enterprise and a diseased wind haunts the Persian Gulf.

General Eisenhower forsook Normandy and a virulent wind haunts Afghanistan.

 

One

America, the lament is bitter. The lament is made for you.

Liberty Island, the lament is bitter. The lament is made for you.

Edmond Pettus Bridge, the lament is bitter. The lament is made for you.

Denali, the lament is bitter. The lament is made for you.

Grand Canyon, the lament is bitter. The lament is made for you.

Golden Gate Bridge, the lament is bitter. The lament is made for you.

Mount Rushmore, the lament is bitter. The lament is made for you.

Gateway Arch, the lament is bitter. The lament is made for you.

Hoover Dam, the lament is bitter. The lament is made for you.

Colonial Williamsburg, the lament is bitter. The lament is made for you.

Lincoln Memorial, the lament is bitter. The lament is made for you.

Liberty Bell, the lament is bitter. The lament is made for you.

Freedom Trail, the lament is bitter. The lament is made for you.

Yellowstone, the lament is bitter. The lament is made for you.

Alamo, the lament is bitter. The lament is made for you.

Gettysburg, the lament is bitter. The lament is made for you.

Pearl Harbor, the lament is bitter. The lament is made for you.

Space Needle, the lament is bitter. The lament is made for you.

Crater Lake, the lament is bitter. The lament is made for you.

Devil’s Tower, the lament is bitter. The lament is made for you.

Everglades, the lament is bitter. The lament is made for you.

National Civil Rights Museum, the lament is bitter. The lament is made for you.

Sears Tower, the lament is bitter. The lament is made for you.

Vietnam Memorial, the lament is bitter. The lament is made for you.

 

Two

The Statue of Liberty cried, “The tyranny that came to be; its lamentation hangs heavy on me. The lies that came to be; their lamentation hang heavy on me. The corruption that came to be; its lamentation hangs heavy on me. The theft that came to be; its lamentation hangs heavy on me. The waste that came to be; its lamentation hangs heavy on me. The stupidity that came to be; its lamentation hangs heavy on me. The rancor that came to be; its lamentation hangs heavy on me.

 

“Because of the bitterness in my land, I gave out leaflets that householders ignored. Because of the bitterness in my land, I attended protests that politicians ignored. Because of the bitterness in my land, I posting memes that web surfers ignored.”

 

Three

On that day tyranny gathered, when in the presence of Liberty her nation was doomed, when they pronounced utter defilement of the nation, when they directed its people be enslaved, she did not forsake her land. Truly, she shed tears. Truly, she made supplication.

 

She pled, “Bull Connor, spare our nation,” and Connor said no.

“Lester Maddox, spare our nation,” and Maddox said no.

“George Lincoln Rockwell, spare our nation,” and Rockwell said no.

“Roy Cohn, spare our nation,” and Cohn said no.

“Phyllis Schlalfly, spare our nation,” and Schlafly said no.

“Jerry Falwell, spare our nation,” and Falwell said no.

“George W. Bush, spare our nation,” and Bush said no.

“Steve Bannon, spare our nation,” and Bannon said no.

“Stephen Miller, spare our nation,” and Miller said no.

“Russell Vought, spare our nation,” and Vought said no.

“Speaker Johnson, spare our nation,” and Johnson said no.

“Justice Roberts, spare our nation,” and Roberts said no.

“CBS, spare our nation,” but they capitulated.

“Paul Weiss, spare our nation,” but they capitulated.

A&O Shearman, Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft, Kirkland & Ellis, 

Latham & Watkins, Milbank, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, 

Skadden Arps, and Willkie Farr & Gallagher capitulated.

“DNC, spare our nation.” They asked for donations 

and brought up gun control.

 

because the billionaires had already decided. 

Elon had decided. Peter Thiel had decided. 

Marc Andreeson, Steve Schwarzman, Miriam Adelson, 

Diane Hendricks, Harold Hamm, Bernard Marcus, Bill Ackman, 

Ike Perlmutter, Steve Wynn, the Winklevoss twins,

and Linda McMahon had all decided.

 

Four

The tyrant started a war—the aware groan. He replaced experts with sycophants—the aware groan. He fired government watchdogs—the aware groan. He fired generals—the aware groan. He fired diplomats—the aware groan. He fired doctors—he aware groan. He closed laboratories—the aware groan. He pardoned rioters—the aware groan. He pardoned drug runners and crooks—the aware groan. He praised dictators—the aware groan. He coerced colleges—the aware groan. He deported Afghans to the Taliban—the aware groan. He sued newspapers—the aware groan. His portrait dominates the Justice Department—the aware groan. He launched retribution campaigns against seashells, senators, veterans, astronauts, FBI Directors and National Security Advisors—the aware groan. He arrested reporters—the aware groan. He tore down the East Wing—the aware groan. He took food from the poor and medicine from the AIDS patients to build monuments to himself—the aware groan. He sued his IRS and awarded himself $2 billion—the aware groan.

 

Five

The tyrant stole from the nation, its farms fallow, its lunchboxes shattered. The arsenal of democracy dwindles—the aware groan. Wind power abandoned—the aware groan. Temperatures and tempers soar - the aware groan. Measles, Ebola, and hantavirus lurk—the aware groan. Voting rights cancelled—the aware groan. Election districts gerrymandered—the aware groan. Troops intimidate cities—the aware groan. Masked agents invade courtrooms and hospitals—the aware groan. Protesters murdered—the aware groan. He imposed tariffs—the people groan. Tankers languish in the Persian Gulf—the people groan. Prices skyrocket—the people groan.

 

Six

The Statue of Liberty laments her defiled home while awaiting deportation. “The tyrant has indeed defiled my nation. He took a pickaxe to its reputation. The world no longer looks to America as a beacon, sends its students to China instead. The tyrant turned Canada against us. He turned Greenland against us. He betrayed plucky Ukraine. He turned Mexico against us. He turned Brazil against us. He turned Albania against us. He turned Belgium against us. He turned Bulgaria against us. He turned Croatia against us. He turned the Czech Republic against us. He turned Denmark against us. He turned Estonia against us. He turned Finland against us. He turned France against us. He turned Germany against us. He turned Greece against us. He turned Hungary against us. He turned Iceland against us. He turned Italy against us. He turned Latvia against us. He turned Lithuania against us. He turned Luxembourg against us. He turned Montenegro against us. He turned Netherlands against us. He turned North Macedonia against us. He turned Norway against us. He turned Poland against us. He turned Portugal against us. He turned Romania against us. He turned Slovakia against us. He turned Spain against us. He turned Sweden against us. He turned Turkey against us. He turned the UK against us. He turned Saudi Arabia against us. He turned Kuwait against us. He turned Qatar against us. He turned the UAE against us.

 

Seven

The Statue of Liberty swelters at Alligator Alcatraz. Liberty, how is your heart? Faithful woman, confined to a flooded tent, how is your heart? Righteous woman, whose torch was sold for scrap, how is your heart? Symbol of freedom, denied a lawyer, how is your heart? Bronze goddess, beset by mosquitos, how is your heart? Inspiration, forced to unclog toilets with bare hands, how is your heart? How long will your imprisonment last? How long will you drink tainted water, eat moldy bread? How long will they deny you a doctor?

 

Statue, return to Liberty Island. Doctors, return to your clinics Scientists return to your labs. Professors return to your lecture halls. Stephen Colbert return to Late Night. Anderson Cooper return 60 Minutes. May voters declare an end.

 

Eight

The tyrant, who knows no humility, no empathy, no curiosity, no compassion, with an inflated ego, an incessant craving for praise, a sense of entitlement, a thirst for power, who boasts, who belittles, who wipes his ass on the law, who was ordered by hate, may he swoop down on the nation no more.

 

Those, who know no humility, no empathy, no curiosity, no compassion, with inflated egos, incessant cravings for praise, a sense of entitlement, a thirst for power, who boast, who belittle, who wipe their asses on the law, who were ordered by hate, may they be shunned. 

 

Those, who know no humility, no empathy, no curiosity, no compassion, with inflated egos, incessant cravings for praise, a sense of entitlement, a thirst for power, who boast, who belittle, who wipe their asses on the law, who were ordered by hate, may they never recur.

 

Nine

Liberty, may your restored nation be resplendent. Like a bright heavenly star may it not be destroyed.

 

As supplicant, the poet offers this invocation to you. After absolving the nation of its errors, may your heart relent toward those who labor for freedom and justice.

 

May the hearts of your people who dwell in the nation be pure. Liberty, in your restored nation, may you be praised.

Hundreds of Jon Wesick’s poems and stories have appeared in journals such as the I-70 Review, The New Verse News, Paterson Literary Review, and Unlikely Stories. He is a regional editor of the San Diego Poetry Annual and host of the Gelato East Fiction Open Mic as well as the NAV Arts poetry reading. His latest poetry collection is Rants of a Cranky Old Man. He lives in Manchester, New Hampshire and longs for gene editing to bring giant wombats back from extinction.

ENDANGERMENT

by Pepper Trail

AI-generated graphic by NightCafé for The New Verse News.

The Trump administration on Thursday revoked the basis for federal climate regulations, undermining the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to protect the environment and public health. —Yale Climate Connections, February 12, 2026

There are always choices

 

There are measles, whooping cough, and polio, or there are vaccinations

            Measles, whooping cough, and polio

 

There is humane law enforcement, or there is brutal intimidation

            Brutal intimidation

 

There is value for public service and competence, or only for blind political loyalty

            Blind political loyalty

 

There is protection of election integrity, or there is manipulation for partisan advantage

            Manipulation for partisan advantage

 

There is respect and cooperation with allies, or there is contempt and extortion

            Contempt and extortion

 

There is the possibility of action on climate change, or there are unconstrained profits for fossil fuel corporations, drought, flooding, glacial melting, sea level rise, ocean acidification, crop failures, deadly heat domes, species extinctions, spread of tropical diseases, coral reef bleaching, extreme wildfire events, ocean current disruptions, and mass human dislocations.

Unconstrained profits for fossil fuel corporations, drought, flooding, glacial melting, sea level rise, ocean acidification, crop failures, deadly heat domes, species extinctions, spread of tropical diseases, coral reef bleaching, extreme wildfire events, ocean current disruptions, and mass human dislocations

 

There are always choices.

Pepper Trail is a poet and naturalist based in Ashland, Oregon. His poetry has appeared in Rattle, Atlanta Review, Spillway, Kyoto Journal, Cascadia Review, and other publications, and has been nominated for Pushcart and Best of the Net awards. His collection Cascade-Siskiyou was a finalist for the 2016 Oregon Book Award in Poetry.

WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE

by Pamela Kenley-Meschino

Story at NPR, May 31, 2025

“For heaven’s sake…”
it’s true, we are all going to die.
But how and why, under what circumstances?
Accidental death has its own brand of horror
for those left behind in the aftermath.
Diseases can ravage, destroy in torturous chronologies
of lifetimes, or swoop in all teeth and talons at birth,
suffering without boundaries or lines of defense.

We say, For heaven’s sake, let’s help! 
Let’s not walk among the dead and say
we’ve all got it coming. Let’s renounce cruelty,
callous equations by riffraff imposters
who spew bilious indifference toward the sick,
whose stone hearts will someday be erased
on the site of an unmarked grave in the canon of history.

   
 
Pamela Kenley-Meschino is originally from the UK, where she developed a love of nature, poetry, and music, thanks in part to the influence of her Irish mother. She is an educator whose classes explore the connection between writing and healing and the importance of shared stories.

CALLING OUT THE NUMBERS

by Sharon Olson

DOGE Has Decimated the Institute of Museum and Library Services —artnet, March 31, 2025

In some retellings the Library of Alexandria
was burned by Julius Caesar, accidentally,
a casualty of war.

No accident the flashlights of the Doge,
peering with damning light, threatening
the rolled-up scrolls sitting pretty
next to 21st-century flash drives.

I can think of Dewey numbers 
the Great Leader would not like: 
sexual relations both gay and straight, 
301.424, public measures to prevent 
disease, 614.5, the library as refuge 
for the homeless, 362.5, Palestine 
and Israel shelved together, 956.94, 
even something so benign
as 351.1, federal jobs.

Not a bad idea to digitize, lest the temperature
rise to Fahrenheit 451, and only an AI librarian
available to operate the hose.


Sharon Olson is a retired California librarian who now lives in Annapolis, Maryland. Her book The Long Night of Flying was published by Sixteen Rivers Press in 2006. Her second book Will There Be Music? was published by Cherry Grove Collections in 2019.

COFFEE ROBUSTA

by Marshall Begel

"[researchers] found that drinking three cups of coffee each day could extend one's healthspan—or time spent without serious illness or disabilities of aging—by approximately 1.84 years." —Men’s Journal, December 25, 2024

No longer vegetarian, no longer gluten-free,
My menu has expanded to cuisine from A to Z.
Because of this elixir made from caffeinated beans,
No longer am I mandated to bitter salad greens.

I've given up the treadmill, no more sit-ups on the floor.
The gym's athletic trainer doesn't own me anymore.
The benefits of exercise are matched by substitution
With remedies contained within this silky brown solution.

So whether it's espresso, or a Mr. Coffee drip,
You'll feel your health improving after each delicious sip,
And you can count the life extending benefits you'll reap
While staring at the ceiling when your spouse is fast asleep.

Marshall Begel lives in Madison, Wisconsin. He has several pieces in Light and Lighten Up Online.

SIMPLY, CATHERINE

by Suzanne Morris

...is how I chose,

in the end,

to remember her name

on the prayer list

to be read aloud

in Sunday worship.

Not Catherine,

Princess of Wales

or Kate, as she is

familiarly known,

but rather, simply, Catherine.

Not because I

wanted to avoid

raising the ire of anyone

who disapproves of

the British monarchy’s

continued existence, or

starting a dialogue

in hushed tones

about how shabbily the Royals

had treated poor Meghan.

Not to put aside the question of

whether or not

anyone outside

the royal family

and the healthcare professionals

ministering to her

has a right to know

the precise location of

the 42-year-old woman’s

disease

or the degree of

its advance.

No, in the end, I wrote down

simply, Catherine

because I believe

the frail-looking woman,

wife, and mother of three,

sitting alone on a bench

in a striped sweater

that appeared a little

too large on her frame

marshaling all her energy to

assuage the world’s

insatiable desire for

information

will always be,

in the sight of God,

simply, Catherine.

Suzanne Morris is a novelist with eight published works, and a poet.  Her poems have appeared in several anthologies, and in online poetry journals including The New Verse News, The Texas Poetry Assignment, and Stone Poetry Quarterly.  She resides in Cherokee County, Texas.

WINNING THE WORLD CUP

by Margaret Rozga

Hooray Spain!

Hooray soft kick,

hooray edge into the goal,

hooray England so close.

Hooray women!

 

I want to believe in my health,

the health of the sport, the health

of the word, the health of the world

at play on the field for all of us.

 

See the women cross field pass,

see the women head goalward,

see the women strong legs.

 

I play the we, play into the we.

If we can win, the win is for the we.     

If we lose, the loss swept into the win.

Spain is not my country, nor England.

 

What in the world, a win—

what for the world, a win—rejoice!

Here, where, how, and why for the world,

for the game, for women, whoever,

wherever, this world moment, believe.

Margaret Rozga served as the 2019-2020 Wisconsin Poet Laureate and the 2021 inaugural artist/scholar in residence at the UW Milwaukee at Waukesha Field Station. Her fifth book is Holding My Selves Together: New and Selected Poems (Cornerstone Press 2021). Cornerstone Press will also publish her 2024 forthcoming book, Restoring Prairie.

ELECTION NIGHT 2022

by David Radavich

“Waiting for a Pear to Fall” by Jonas Daniliauskas

The sky is clear
and not a word
floats in the heavens
or on the earth.

 

It is the time of waiting.

 

What must be said
has already been said

 

and we 

like perfect fruit,

 

waiting to be peeled
and consumed.

 

What remains
in the eating

 

at the hands
of others?

 

A last hope
that our insides
will be tasty,

 

that our sacrifice
will bring life
and health

 

to a broken state.

David Radavich's poetry collections include two epics, America Bound and America Abroad, as well as Middle-East Mezze and The Countries We Live In. His latest book is Unter der Sonne / Under the Sun: German and English Poems (2022).  

THE NEWS

by Jacquelyn Shah

Little in the news is truly new now,

though it should be suspensed with, 

the infelicitous word truly, 

which can’t be employed justifiably.

Close relative of truth, a word that’s lost

its eminence since failing

to hang on to sense and signification, 

truly must follow it out the door,

down the street, to the junk-yard, to lie

with all the other useless rubbish.

Truth be told (...but remember, it can’t be!) 

the word truth had been aging 

badly for some time, beginning to resemble 

a jalopy, which might or might not 

reach its destination,

and while moving, often sputters,

even stalls. 

But getting back to news... 

The only thing to be said about it,

given its all-too-often-grisly forms––

à la weather, health, politics, economy,

sports, murders, war, etc.––

is: the time has come to minimize

my TV viewing time, 

which has truly been nothing more 

than an attempt to keep abreast.

And who needs another breast?

Not me, I’ve three already.

Jacquelyn Shah—iconoclast, feminist, pacifist. A.B., English, Phi Beta Kappa; M.A.–English; M.F.A., Ph.D.–English lit/creative writing–poetry. Publications: chapbook, small fry; full-length book, What to Do with Red. Poems in various journals; Winner of Literal Latté’s 2018 Food Verse Contest