NORWEGIANS ACCUSED

by Lavinia Kumar

Russian Nature reserve demands NOK 47 million for Norwegian reindeer grazing on its territory—The Barents Observer, July 28, 2023

Such disrespect for interests of another country

it was said—yet not one inch of land stolen.

 

It is true they used up a ration of lichen and shrubs,

but kept mindfully to this vegetarian diet.

 

Such disrespect for land reserved and preserved—

insisting, we know on using four, not just two, hooves.

 

Such arrogance and disrespect for nature!

But they forbore, we’re sure, human murder and rape.

 

Yet degradation of vegetation needs compensation—

for full two months of 40 Norwegian reindeer grazing.

 

Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expert on invasion

demands $4.6 million for, tsk, tsk, illegal incursion.

Lavinia Kumar’s recent poems appear (or will soon) in Kelsey Review, Schuylkill Valley Journal, MacQueen’s Quinterly, New Jersey Journal of Poetry, Paterson Literary Review, Tiny Seed.  She is an immigrant married to an immigrant, and lives in New Jersey.

AN EARLY AUDIENCE: JANUARY 23, 2022

by Wu “Sacred Bee” Li

A Chinese PLA Xian H-6 jet bomber. China’s air force flew 34 fighter jets, one bomber, two electronic warfare planes and two intelligence-gathering planes into the Taiwan Strait on Sunday. Photograph: Taiwan Ministry Of National Defense/EPA Helen Davidson in Taipei —The Guardian, January 24, 2022

The Red-capped Cock-man has announced the Coming of the Dong .

The Keeper of the Robes is bringing terror to Taiwan.

The heavenly nine doors re-ve-al thirty-nine aircraft.

The coats of many countries kowtow to the Golden Calf.

Sunlight has entered into the Cheat’s craven carven plans.

Incense and hatred round the Dragon spread to many lands.

The Chengdu J-10 fighters, electronic spotter planes,

and the Shenyang J-16 jets roar out enraged refrains.

The audience hears edicts, blue, black, yellow, red and white,

a Phoenix phalanx sent forth by the Secretariat.

Wu “Sacred Bee” Li is the latest anagrammatic pseudonym of a New Verse News regular. This poem draws on a poem from the Tang dynasty by Wang Wei (王維, 701-761). Dong means East.