Yugoslavia
My first wife and I went on holiday
55 years ago, in Yugoslavia
The tourist industry was struggling
to find its feet, we stayed in a freshly
painted barracks, which caused some
jokes about what the buildings had
housed before us
I remember a forest and a lake, but I
must be mistaken, we went there to
swim in the sea
When I told my fresh-faced wife
I had found a German uniform button
She didn't believe me, but she
mentioned the incident seven years ago
During a divorce hearing, as proof
that I was not to be trusted.
I was a tourist in a country that no
longer exist, but in Belgrade, they fight
over issues not forgotten, how a land
was divided into mini-states that
hates each other
Categories:
yugoslavia, anti bullying, birthday, care,
Form: ABC
In Tito's days
When Yugoslavia was whole
and Tito had made
made his peace with the mighty USA
nascent was the tourist boom
that was ok, we had been children
of a greater war
we had been cured of gluttony
the breakfast had a whiff of army
mountains of bread
tea was served in solid mugs
the forest reaches to the edge of
the sea, the beach was small
had few swimmers
wild boars begged for food
We were not here
to bear witness to a new industry
but to explore each other's
sexuality
away from prying eyes, except
for Tito, whose print hung
on the opposite wall
and had a knowing smile.
Categories:
yugoslavia, absence, africa, age, allusion,
Form: Blank verse
The gentle breeze of the night
Ran away and came in slowly
And so does my lovers heart
Is the cloud closer or farther?
As I wonder if my lovers love is
With the thinness of the stars!
Ohh triplet of stars, all together
Always and I look for my lovers
Heart around but could not find
And there two other stars, why
Should there be a distance between
These stars and the distance
Founded and created their imperfections with their faintness
There, over there is one big star
Thick with togetherness, strong with
love and firm with trust, where is mine?
The bird flew in between the clouds and the group
Wait, Birds?
What art thou doing by this of the day?
When sleep fullest man's eyes
At last, the falling horse arose and
the lost sheep found
Just one moon seen in Yugoslavia is seen in Nigeria as one as it took it whole component with it
They all move at ones altogether so do I and my lovers soul together!
We became a pen
That outside the earth the pen and
It's cover may be separated but
Inside they are clicked together with an unbreakable bound.
Categories:
yugoslavia, 12th grade, 6th grade,
Form: Free verse
War at Kurukshetra (Bharat) was great,
Where human and divine face to face met;
Arjuna and Pandavas won the tough war,
Arrogant powers of Gauravas brunt bore;
Could this be compared to Goliath-David?
Where humility and faith in God got elated;
Though won and gained glories abundant,
David depended on divine triumphant;
Arjuna, in Kurkshetra war, knew his power,
Yet pleaded the power of God to empower;
God too heeded him and came to his help,
Does God leave the children just to self-help?
Though the war was fought long-long ago,
Implications of it make us many miles go;
When we’re wearied and need God’s favor,
He’s ready waiting to hold our hands ever;
Amidst sufferings and shadows of pain,
Decease and death and physical corruption;
Hands of God is ever extended over us,
His footprints guide and safely lead us;
Kurukshetra war or Israel-Palestine fight,
Buddhist uprising or Chinese conflict;
Abyssinia or Somalia or Yugoslavia,
Lebanese fights or wars of Pakistan-India;
Humans should control the surging ego,
Or fall will go before their pride does go;
Forgetting divine power if we proceed,
History will forever to involution recede…
22 July 2021
Categories:
yugoslavia, life, war,
Form: Free verse
Y
Yggdrasil
younglings
yobbishly
yohimbine
yammering yardsticks
year-round
yuppifying
yuppifies
yokefellow
yarborough
yellowtail Ypsilanti
yearningly
yellowback
yarmulkas
Yevtushenko
Yellowstone yachtswoman
yellowfin
yellowing
yearlings
yodellers
yearnings
yachtsmen yesterdays
yearbooks
yachtsman
youngberry
yarramans
yellowhead
yeastiest yardstick
yieldingly
youngling
yogyakarta
yoghourts
Yugoslavia yodelling
Youngstown
yarmulkes
yataghans
yawningly
yellowish
youthfully cowardly
yellowness
youngsters
yeastlike
youngness
Yiddish
yardmaster
yuppiedom youngster
Yaroslavl
Yellowknife
yellowcake
Yugoslavian
yuppified
Yorkshire
yellowest
yattering
yellowlegs
yesterdays
yeastiness
ytterbium
yesteryear
yardbirds
YouTubing
yellowwood
yellow-belly
Yucatan
yourselves
yabbering
Y words?
8/11/20
written word by James Edward Lee Sr. 2020 ©
Categories:
yugoslavia, analogy, word play, words,
Form: Free verse
Serbia and Italy were going on a nice little walk.
Said Italy “Yugoslavia is not one to talk!”
Serbia got mad.
“Yugo is my dad!”
They ended up smacking each other, quite a little squawk.
Categories:
yugoslavia, 3rd grade, 4th grade,
Form: Limerick
Secret Police shoot jelly beans from space
Bazookas come out ready in the cosmic snow
Rainbows are black and white at midnight
Cold weather freezes colors in their place
Killing bunnies is a crime in Yugoslavia
Permits are required when using dynamite
Rabbits are the enemy of the state of late
Their babies are so cute and cuddly soft
Marshmallow white with fury causes
Loud noises frighten them away
Vegetarians are envious of bunnies and their kind
Plants are much easier to catch and understand
Hunters prefer food that has two parents
Four legged creatures sometimes get away
Guns make them nervous when in their sights
Coming from behind from every angle
Ninja like and fast as lightning
Fury animals fear the police from outer space
The thought of becoming dinner makes them scream
Angry men would feed on honey bunny tonight
Candy sweet but not polite in their demeanor
Even if it means not being legal
Eating without a fork or license is obscene
Not praying before they feast is not a secret
It is typical of the people evil
Secret Police don't even wash their hands
Or speak in English since they are alien
Categories:
yugoslavia, animal, conflict, cute, food,
Form: Free verse
As dark as night
You are nothing but agony
Misery ,separation, cries , death ,hate
Perpetrators once my
Friends, neighbors, colleagues, companion
Transformed to haters.
GERMANY , EX YUGOSLAVIA ,RWANDA ,BURUNDI
You patrolled with negation
See ,see now they walk
Head bend ,shame on their faces
doubts in them , repentance they seek
We pardon them, come changed compatriots
Click clack boom boom
Click clack boom boom
Cling cling chop chop
Babies, women ,men ,young ,old
Down, hmm.
Never ,never again
Categories:
yugoslavia, bereavement, betrayal, dark, depression,
Form: Imagism
I somehow missed the nineties
As far as pop culture was concerned
I spent a lot of it overseas
Watching as the Balkans burned
I had learned Russian for the Army
But the Russian Bear was no longer wild
About the time they reunited Germany
I gained a brand new wife and child
With the fall of the Soviet Union
I thought the world might finely be sane
Then I cross trained into Serbo-Croatian
As Yugoslavia went up in flame
The Army was not a free ride
I did several deployment rotations
Monitoring war crimes like genocide
Or in Macedonia with the United Nations
The nineties ended quietly
At least from what I remember
I was focused then on family
Until that fatal 11 September
Categories:
yugoslavia, america, children, conflict, family,
Form: Quatrain
Obsession
The pianist Albert has got a job in Loulé last time
I saw him in Faro and fell over a pollard, he said
he was not my father. When he spotted me he ran
into a café, they let him run through the kitchen
into the back, a dead end; I waited for him there.
“If you don´t stop following me I will have to call
the police, I´M NOT YOUR FATHER.” To mollify
him I said: “ I know you are not, but I do admire
your piano playing. ”This pleased him and we had
a drink and he told me he came from Yugoslavia,
had wanted to be a concert pianist, but there was
no money, so he ended up as a café pianist… just
as my father I thought but said nothing… then he
had to leave for work, saw him walk out of my life
just as my father did, there was nothing I could do
to stop this man who refused to be my dad.
Categories:
yugoslavia, father, parody, father, me,
Form: Blank verse
in the territory
of former Yugoslavia there are some war crimes
in the territory of former Yugoslavian crimes are the subject
and persons are responsible of mass graves
in the territory of former Yugoslavic
individual and institutional
racist behavior
are responsible for the greatest violations of human rights
in the territory of former Yugoslavia as around the world directly -
indirectly you can buy an express ticket
at the tourist information
and behind the rail way station
read the names of those responsible
of war crimes around the world
you can as well visit another country
buy another rail ticket
to German then the culture of silence
may build another wall around you
Copyright ©2008 Juana Semiramis Guillen
Categories:
yugoslavia, history, people, places, war,
Form: Ballade