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Dan Josephson Poem
There was a man named Kaldi who herded sheep
He fed them berries in Ethiopia but they could not sleep
He then told his friends and they tried them, too
Soon everyone worked harder and said goodbye to curfews
Not 600 years later, it had spread through the Arabian Peninsula
Then Turkey, Egypt, Persia, and Syria
There was a terrible time when the Turks invaded Hungary
But rumor has it that is when they brought coffee
From 1520 on the story goes
Coffee spilled through Europe and put people on their toes
But many people in the church they had their concerns
They called it Satanic and in hell coffee drinkers would burn
But Pope Clement VIII he gave the bitter drink his blessing
Then in 1670s London King Charles II took to his own messing
There were fears of coffee meetings and political uprisings
But by the end of the 1600s Kings Arms of Manhattan cafe was jiving
It was brought by the Dutch to New Amsterdam
People preferred tea and beer but would give coffee a chance
Decades went by and they sipped, worked, and danced
But by 1773 something forever changed the fate
Of not just coffee but the colonies' reason to celebrate
King George III went wild with tea taxes
Revolutionaries rebelled by the masses
They had the Boston Tea Party and then the war
America was born and it opened a door
Not just for freedom but the bitter, once Satanic drink
It changed the way people socialize and the way that they think
From Ethiopia to Turkey to England and the US we have Kaldi to thank and our minds to impress
Copyright © Dan Josephson | Year Posted 2025
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Dan Josephson Poem
In Spain they call it Flamenco
In Portugal it's Fado
It's simple life yet so complex
Heavy but light
Dark but so bright
One can step into a basement or a theatre so large
One can feel overjoyed or supremely depressed
These extremes of emotions are life itself
But perhaps there is that balance when you sit and watch and listen
The click clacking of shoes
The desperate strums of strings
The rhythmic slapping on the cajon
The moans of lost romance
Sip your coffee or Porto vino, or Sangria if you wish
Lose yourself in Iberian folk music
And decide how you want to spend your horas in the dancing abyss
Copyright © Dan Josephson | Year Posted 2025
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Dan Josephson Poem
You wore Achilles’ armor when things got tough
You slayed Trojan after Trojan, and seemed invincible
When Sarpedon went down they knew you were no joke
You turned their heads and raised their eyebrows, shields, and swords
But every hero gets lonely, and every hero falls
This was no fluke but a peak that then plateaued
How much can one man do, with Jove and Apollo on the other side?
Hector may have ended you, but not without their help
Of course, your legacy lives on
No warrior really took you down
You made Achilles proud
You made the Achaeans proud
The Trojans may have your armor
But your body is well preserved
Just like your spirit and your honor
Forever, the Trojans will shriek when they hear your name: PATROCLUS!!!
Copyright © Dan Josephson | Year Posted 2025
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Dan Josephson Poem
A pale yellow and orange blanket envelops the fields
The stillness is paralyzing in the most peaceful of ways
The cool, crisp air makes a late summer feel like an early onset of winter
The time can fool you on the seasons
This is where the world stops spinning
Light years away from the bustle of the city
With the rolling hills and stoic trees
Somewhere nearby the horses graze and the chickens cluck
The plump carrots, shiny bell peppers, and blushing tomatoes sprout from their busy plot
The sun pokes its head out as Helios does his daily work
And the critters whisper in the distance before the cars start to rattle the country roads
This is the moment where the gears start spinning and the universe opens up
It all starts here up on the hilltop
In the most delicate of times, you can stand here and make sure life doesn't pass you by
If you ever need a reset or the smallest dose of love
Stand amongst the quiet masses at the earliest of hours
It will all come together, my friend, have no fear
The sun will always rise and the fences will stand
Hold onto your heart and let the morning dew take you in
The rest will seem easier from here on out; just wait now, just a little for the day to carry on
The rest will be a breeze, and your challenges will melt
When you feel swallowed up you can always visit again at dawn
Your troubles may feel everlasting
But so is the warm embrace of this enchanting time and place
Copyright © Dan Josephson | Year Posted 2025
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Dan Josephson Poem
A star once floated from East to West
He now punishes those who abuse their power
Snarling under his hook of a nose
The fire orange sun beats down on his blood red goblin face.
His bark is a thunder bolt
Honor is his name and he will cease at nothing to preserve it
From the Heian to Tokugawa, through the surrender of ‘45
From countless Seppukus to the Yasukuni Shrine
He flew through the night which followed Abe’s killing
He watched with disdain when the troops raided Nanjing
“Call me ugly as you wish, but you are the true pigs of the sky,” he said
“With your bombs and swords you have given me endless work”
The flying dog is here to stay, and to judge all who make evil
His face will float above forests and decorate museums
Do not be the reason why the red goblin glows
Do not let this mighty flying dog make an example of your money hungry soul
He will haunt you like no other as he has for centuries
Bow to your masters, and maintain your dignity
Or whatever is left will be ripped and turned into dust
By the flying dog who they call “Tengu”
Copyright © Dan Josephson | Year Posted 2025
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