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Dan Helppi Poem
Disgorge the land, unload the ship, and take
the old and new to keep. For down they went
the rich and poor, all good all bad, all dead.
We pound our drum we beat our chest, the lost
are done so eat the corn. My heart, your heart
is not to care, the Gods are one and that
is good, so go and yell the news, we won
the war is done and peace begun. It might
be peace to us; to them no peace is won
no cake is cut no war is done, oh well!
Copyright © Dan Helppi | Year Posted 2014
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Dan Helppi Poem
What's for dinner?
Poor people
With no fat on their bones
you can eat them
and eat them.
They're practically fat free
I heard they can make you sick.
Not if you feed them cheese.
One block of cheese,
and they make a fine commodity.
You sure,
my uncle says ya hafta
dip em first in powdered milk.
Na, as long as ya feed em cheese
yer good.
Okay, gimmee three.
Copyright © Dan Helppi | Year Posted 2014
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Dan Helppi Poem
Note not sent To My Dad on Veteran’s Day:
A letter you wrote , I found
in Old Uncle Laurie’s house.
You were young, Seventeen
You wrote of things to come
War
And fear
And your new car.
Nam ate your soul
Mangled
You
Stupid war, Johnson’s shout at glory.
Our beautiful hero died too young
The damn war never would’ve come
If Their machine hadn’t killed him.
You
heeded
Johnson’s summon
Answered their call
Over the
Sea
Voodoos and Jesus nuts
Medic up, man down
Punjis and pissed pants
Wet and rotting stench
You came home. But did you come back?
Copyright © Dan Helppi | Year Posted 2014
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Dan Helppi Poem
You were born here,
and so you own it.
You've done so much,
to make it yours.
You've built rocky mountains,
You've dug grand canyons,
forged great lakes from ice,
tamed the savage.
And look at your great lady
of the harbor...
wow, I see why
you are so proud.
Oh yes, great man; I see
your Godliness now.
So sorry to have bothered you
highness, worm that I am,
so sorry I called,
goodbye and gracias,
Gracias all.
Copyright © Dan Helppi | Year Posted 2014
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Dan Helppi Poem
I am Dan, to some, Dan The Man
I peed my pants for too long
to be the man.
Before I say why; know,
it will make me cry.
Will it you? Or only sigh.
To sigh or cry, let us try.
They gave me cinnamon sticks
dusty and sharp,
eat these, you'll stay dry.
I ate these and in the morning,
pee down to my knees.
They tried a warning,
don't you dare, it's in your head...
Pee, Pee, Pee, everywhere.
I went to camp, I didn't dare sleep.
I hugged my knees
and prayed for morning.
It came, and behind my lids
everything bad waited.
But wait, between my legs-
a desert dry!
Elate, elate I am trained,
thirteen the magic number!
No magic, just done,
but the why, no fun.
Time to cry.
He hurt me young, he
taught me shame as he...
I took the blame and told no one.
And that is the why,
the why, why, why
and yet,
here I am, Dan The Man.
Copyright © Dan Helppi | Year Posted 2014
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Dan Helppi Poem
Baby I hold you above
the cold August Wind
with the sweetest songs I can sing.
Keep them in a Pot
Locke d
against all natural sin
The eyes of free men
search for it still
though
no one can smile
into the eyes of an infant
and imagine evil residing there.
Copyright © Dan Helppi | Year Posted 2014
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Dan Helppi Poem
I eat one more I will be sure to puke.
Almond no joy to me no more, no more
The kids re-gift each one to me for free.
So eat jus one, jus two, jus four, or ten!
An now my belly bomb is set to blow,
oh no, I got to go to fill toilet.
How come the young, they can jus eat so much
choc'late sugar garbage? The fun for Dad
is done the pain is real the gut is broke.
I wish I had a nickel for each time
I say I ate too much. I would be rich!
By chance I live through this stupid insane
choc'late attack, I cross my heart an hope
to die, I will be smart even reduce
horking the pumpkin pie, ehhh,
I'll try.
Copyright © Dan Helppi | Year Posted 2014
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Dan Helppi Poem
Ray Ventre
even Loved by me,
his smallest acquaintance.
Want the ow to go away, want to
go to last Thursday,
To see his joy
Again.
Ray was my teacher
On Thursdays, four to six
He taught patterns and continuity
Of the literary past, EN 281.
A big name for the
Enjoyment of
Literature.
He died Wednesday,
The day before Thanksgiving
Two thousand fourteen.
Many are sad,
I too, am
Sad.
Rate my professor
Rated him a four point eight,
Good, even great, but read what
all students said for him
to know his rank,
to know our loss
to know our sad.
I was a late addition to Northern Michigan University
I had planned another year at community college, but
a job opened up for my wife in Marquette, so I suddenly needed, two weeks before they started:
classes, guidance, a mentor, I needed someone to care about a situation they never heard of till now.
Ray Ventre was the head of the English department, Ray cared, he set me up with classes including 281.
A more enjoyable class would be hard to find.
A more enjoyable teacher, impossible.
To find.
The joy he had
The special kind
That never fades, but grows
Like cancer of the heart
Spreading into all
Who Love
laugh
And live for
The happiest days.
His heart was
Too large to last.
Goodbye Ray, and thank you for teaching me.
Copyright © Dan Helppi | Year Posted 2014
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Dan Helppi Poem
wind bites chunks of heart
from the rabbit dogs large chest
and the dog~ so small
Copyright © Dan Helppi | Year Posted 2014
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Dan Helppi Poem
her brave silent soul
struggles to numb numb away
that lonesome~daycare
Copyright © Dan Helppi | Year Posted 2014
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