Page No 28
| Poem No 166
A villanelle from ROGER TABER (Roger's latest book, First Person Plural, is now available - ISBN 0953983315) SWORD OF DAMOCLES
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| Poem No 167
by BARBARA SMITH
THE CHEATING TRAIN
He should never have played on the line Only wellingtons remain And angel watching over the small grave
All that is left of the little boy who met a train which cheated and left on time |
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| Poem No 168
Another from NICK HANCOCK
SPACED-IN I occupy this space and take it with me where I go. It's been to Cerro Largo and Rabat, Johannesburg and Trois-Rivières. No one, no thing can coincide with it. And if I'm crushed? It simply shrinks: no dual tenancies allowed.
One night I cycled from the Gulf of Suez, panting with this space up a mountain road when I heard barking and running feet and was surrounded by Arabic-speaking soldiers. I remembered the notices: FOREIGNERS ARE FORBIDDEN TO LEAVE THE ROAD. But I hadn't left it, had I?
I waited for a bullet to invade my space yet knew that even such a hole, final as it might be, would not share the space in any way. A Cairo law student (the dignity of his learning had held him back) walked up with rags of English to save my space from an impossible intrusion.
Watch this space: although filled by my cells it's as empty as a light bulb.
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| Poem No 169
from RICHIE FOY THE CUT
The big Shire plodded along pulling on the rope No mercy to this worker with no hope A tight tether, a slack filled barge Pass by the boy and his bent pin Sticklebacks disturbed It was yesterday of course But not for you my little one The Shire has disappeared The rope decayed And the slack has burned The barge is tarted up Smoke puffs from the rear A home where the slack once lay Travelling the Leeds and Liverpool We saw it today On our way |
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| Poem No 170
thanks to PHILIP CARMEN
No Stranger to a Song
The ragged traveller with baggy knees
Walks the avenue of trees.
His journey has been hard and long;
He is no stranger to a song.
He sings of encounters on the way.
Has many anecdotes to pass the time of
day.
His journey has been hard and long;
He is no stranger to a song.
Now his journey is coming to an end.
Old age is approaching, he is
frightened.
His journey has been hard and long;
He is no stranger to a song.
Now he has laid his troubles down.
Peace at last he now has found.
His journey has been hard and long;
He is no stranger to a song.
There is no travelling anymore.
He rests at last on the farther shore.
His journey has been hard and long;
He is no stranger to a song.
Philip Carmen (copyright)
For a link to Philip's own website see My Home Page
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