surge upon surge
of this sultry loneliness
washing ove me ...
quiet in a seaside room
one night before the deadline
the blank page
staring at me for hours ...
this drunken night
I glimpse the nude muse
rising from a sea of words
the muse and I
mouth on mouth, legs tangled with legs
become a single dream:
my book in the front window
at Barnes & Noble
FYI: Barnes & Noble is the largest individual bookstore in the world measured by square footage.
Added: Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, LXXX: "wall of apartheid"
apartheid wall
only so far a child's eyes
can see beyond [his world]
FYI Israel describes the wall as a necessary security barrier against Palestinian political violence; whereas Palestinians describe it as an element of racial segregation and a representation of Israeli apartheid, who often call it "Wall of Apartheid".
The following quote can be attributed to Tirana Hassan, Human Rights Watch Executive Director:
"In a historic ruling the International Court of Justice has found multiple and serious international law violations by Israel towards Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including, for the first time, finding Israel responsible for apartheid. The court has placed responsibility with all states and the United Nations to end these violations of international law. The ruling should be yet another wake up call for the United States to end its egregious policy of defending Israel’s oppression of Palestinians and prompt a thorough reassessment in other countries as well."
Added: Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, LXXXI: "Gaza's rubble"
to Kamala Harris, 2024 Democratic presidential candidate
what can be
unburdened by what has been
this soundbite
becomes cheap and louder ...
a hand out of Gaza's rubble
FYI: "What can be, unburdened by what has been" is a quote popularized and primarily used by Kamala Harris, the current vice president of the United States and 2024 Democratic presidential candidate. A supercut of Harris repeating the quote was first shared by the Republican National Committee on social media platform X, on April 30, 2023, after which it became viral (
Wikipedia, "What can be, unburdened by what has been")
Added: Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, LXXXII: "war criminal"
written in response to Netanyahu's Congress speech
a state of dis/union:
pumping his fist in the air
the war criminal
opens, closes, opens... his mouth
to Congress for an hour
Mostly, though, the speech was notable for its lies. Netanyahu lied openly about his army’s ethics and conduct. He lied about starving civilians. He lied about the number of people he has killed. He lied about the antisemitism of American protesters. His only moment of deliberate truth-telling came when he declared his debt to his literal partner in crime, Joe Biden.
Added: Re-Homing in the Maple Land, XXIII
shouts from the beach,
go back where you came from ...
bubbles of memory
pop to the surface
of my immigrant life
FYI: This could be read as a prequel to my tanka below"
a kid trying
to kick sea foam back
where it came from
I remember the first time
a white man yelled at me
Runner-Up, Tanka Section, 2016 British Haiku Society Awards
Added: No More Fairy Tales, XXX
written in response to Jasper wildfires
smoky twilight
this wall
of fast-moving flame
Added: No More Fairy Tales, XXXI
sultry night alone
the long note
of a wildfire siren
