Short Chattels Poems

Be ashamed, O mountains and seas: these were men who drew valorous breath.
Assume, like pale chattels, an ashen silence at death.
 
—Parmenio, translation by Michael R. Burch...

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What feral dogs bark at my door?
As I lick my wounds, 
In de rigor discord,
Whose music do I play?
Or verses time has left to say,
What chattels at my core,
Deny me life I've lived before?
On my horizon I see tears, 
Embark on my face to empty years,
With nowhere else to turn
I turn sideways 
Whete I will spurn and then
Burn...

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The cattle-rearer had shown his mettle by fighting in the battle,  but weary as he was,  drank from his kettle and with his comrades he tattled and tattled,  while at once the chariot-wheels rattled,  and as yet the strife was not settled,  that cattle-rearer got confused a little,  threw out his bottle,  but could do nothing but tattled and tattled with his chattels....

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Given in appreciation
but taken away on request
translated to foreign land
but asked to surrender everything
employed to serve unknown guests
but asked to behave brainlessly
taken for a tour as personal effect
but chained for whims of tourism

Today young girls of the world
are chattels of people’s wishes

They are dustbin of weird whims
hijacked, negotiated, looted, lied to
are groundnut paste of pleasure
nothing in this world they are 
but chattels, empty scraps!...

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