Long Shanks Poems

It interests me to peer past the drafting
and rewriting shoulder
of Thomas Jefferson,
unhappy slave-owner,
and John Adams,
with domestic slave-owner nuisance issues,
and other principle writing minds 
of original democratic declaration and constitution shaping times,
as they listened to their...

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Arni Kleftiko Stolen Lamb


The Cypriots and Greeks have a few differences,
And can argue a great deal,
But both agree when it comes to ‘Kleftiko”
It has forever been, the most delectable 
Traditional Greek meal,
That ever a bandit...

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The moon has groaned home;

And soon the shadow’s drum,

Resonates the rhythmic silhouette,

To the ferocious pains of the spine;

Hear the heavy throbs of the drum,

The panting steps of the trumpet,

And the singing sage of the flute.

See...

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SAMHUINN
Wi samhuin fast approaching
When people start tae dread,
The gates of hell burst open
For the festival of the dead.

Bane shanks lifts his scythe
And scrieves his words in fire,
Welcome tae this earthly plane
Or be cast upon the...

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endless leisure hours as distorted time stretch before me...

like the infinite vista
upon the midwestern plain
farther than the eyes of mine
(an ascetic and copacetic
shortsighted father of two grown
twenty something daughters)
can no longer see,
since sockets severely seared
staring...

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Upon exiting side door nearest
to our single bedroom
(few dozen strides to access way
out apartment - complex edifice),
I unexpectedly encountered
(on August 30th, 2021 ~10:15 pm -
née namely heard but did not see),
a small screeching creature
whose anatomical...

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Well, the FED was in. A light. Dude, he ing didn't die. His brain came out, but he ing was fly as  came up says, I know what, what the problem is, and I'll...

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Aah... how great the taste of water...

After lounging in bed until
late morning/early afternoon
we (the missus and I) felt restless
as garden variety buffoon
or think chrysalis itching

to escape encased within cocoon
nevertheless, she mustered hubby
long since retired dragoon
late...

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I suddenly became aware
(although rooted motive not clear)
avoiding self castration ere
yours truly back during
forty three plus summers ago

(do the math and figure out what year)
long haired pencil necked geek
applied dull razor
to remove, (albeit temporarily) hair
covering...

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fo'c·'sle    /'fohksel/  noun  deriv: forecastle
      1. the forward part of a ship below the deck, traditionally used as the crew's living quarters.
   ...

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" Serious Message "

While sleeping one night
I had a terrible dream
a vivid vision inside of me
a Serious Message
of all the crime and hate
reflected within our society.

Emergency alarms
car alarms
graffiti and trash
all over the city.

Noise and air...

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Transaurius

Divined from a thousand novellas
On the cusp of hallucination
Somewhere between the monastery and the circus.........

Devoid of any specious goodness
Deficient in any and all pragma
Having escaped from several weddings
One if by name, two if by shame

Resonant...

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My Birthday,The Calendar Speaks

Since January 4, 1951**********
(Written for the Shanks, the Youngs & Jim)
“...Raging glory...Forever young...”. Bob Dylan
————————————————ttt———————————————————-

The calendar speaks
Of this day, seventy years ago, when
   I was born.  Around 6 p.m.....

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Well it’s not a laughing matter but I’m grinning once again,
‘cause out of nine of us at work, five have felt the pain,
of suffering as a ‘bloody idiot,’ after having a few beers,
and trying to...

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Hey there little one
Toddling ‘round your parents’ feet
Not yet knowing who you are
A whole wide world to meet

You have Nobility -
Heroes’ blood pumps in your heart
Martyrs, warriors and pioneers 
Are part of who you are

Both...

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A Lady in Red 
The road leading to the main lane is a sight black and shiny 
with white stripes on each side, it was resurfaced not for us 
locals, but for a golf course...

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PARENTAL ILLS

Fresh fallacy fall flat
Betwixt blenched beaux
Oldies goldies, modern crime
Lacerated denims, newish culture
Conventional crews, forgotten taws
Dearie draws near, dressed chamber
Old tent, increasing wails
Baggy laps, incessant sounds
Daunted, flabbergasted grips
Pleasurable, gratifying tips
Floppy fathers left in tears
Flooey spinsters...

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This is something that happened to me, I have no explanation, and I am not religious. But I just love what the universal energies/spirit throws at me.
        ...

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I wait for the heat
of the Allis Chalmers crawler’s engine
to fill the tarped in space
where I sit huddled
next to levers, gauges and knobs.
The crawler seems to float.
The tule fog obscures the ground
covers everything,
all that has...

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7.
the leaf of jack-fruit is luxuriant 
i can’t remember whether i ever notice 
the portrait of your face on it  

there are so many words 
that are slippery 

how much rustic is the dust...

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The New Guinea native fought the Japanese in 1942.
Good on you Fuzzy Wuzzie

Kokoda Gubba Gubba....

In the hills of great Kokoda, on the swamps of Milne bay.
Tramped a weary native strangler whose tribe are gone today.
Him...

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I keep my left foot in the war zone
I keep my right foot in the jungle,
While I scramble for my cheerios[ 0's }
I do it bundle by bundle,

It's the year of gettin' yo' money right
and...

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 April's Torment - The Villanelle Of The April Fool

April couldn't stop thinking about the April Fool
It was just so april fish and pranks
Never had she known anything so dual

That morning, April was shocked by...

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Oh say can you see the land of the freebie 
and the home of the ungrateful bleating
where borders are blown wide open by vote vamps 
to the glee of coyotes -desperados -the depraved..
Stars and stripes...

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-you should fear the fourth of November
because your old butt is sitting on a powder keg
after a summer of disease and restriction
after a summer boiling over with George
the young are holding the matches
and day 
upon...

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