Thursday, October 24, 2019

Editorial by Koon Woon on Contradictions by Mao

If I can remember well, Chairman Mao said many years ago, there are two kinds of contradictions in the world -- Contradiction between the people and contradiction amongst the people.

Sometimes if a murderer is at your front door, you need to stop arguments inside the house and deal with the murderer at the front door first.


Lew Jones paper on Ishtar film theory

Lew Jones Ishtar film theory

Monday, October 21, 2019

Haiku --- Lenora Good


Like thin chocolate
the Rio Grande pours past me
            I thirst.

Dragonflies
tango above the water
            tiny scarlet flames.


Thor's hammer bounces
across the clouds—
            puppy shakes in fear.


Why is it easier
to accept my death
            than yours?


Thursday, October 17, 2019

Three Haiku ----- James Roderick Burns



How dear
the small, lit window!
How distant!

*

Mossy cobbles
flatten and shine under
the wash of tyres

*

Stillness –
the night-bird’s cry flits
from wall to wall



Saturday, October 12, 2019

Julie A. Dickson --- three new poems


The Brand for Real Change


The brand I wear is for freedom
with elephants roaming wild
of dolphins and whales breeching,
living in family pods at sea.

I can’t abide a captive life for them,
behind logos of SeaWorld or zoos,
circus tents with hook-handed handlers
dishing out abuse among rings of fire.

The brand I wear is for fairness for all
gender identities and persons of color,
to live without fear, to gain and maintain rights,
to move forward instead of losing ground.

I can’t abide the fork-tongues of leaders,
daily barrage of violence and hatred;
people yelling across widening chasms
disregarding beckoning hands of friendship.

The brand I wear is a barren beach,
clean sand with pink shells and pebbles,
free from decaying fish and sharks,
dead sea turtles that ingested debris.

I can’t abide the sight of trash,
plastic washing up on the shore,
sea water a floating raft of death,
collateral damage of human waste.

The brand I wear is for real change
for enough people to care and listen,
to stop environmental destruction,
abandon cruelty, protect the earth.

I can’t abide the human apathy,
silence condoning their behavior
to appear deaf and blind to the chaos;
isn’t it time to wake up and change?


Julie A. Dickson
Exeter, NH



Gray


Gray skin sags over a large frame,
skin and bones you might say
I’m not allowed to graze, forage
as nature intends – I wait.
They throw dried grass, sticks.
I amble over to the pile slowly
as my feet are sore and cracked,
pavement hard; it’s been so long
since I felt dirt and grass beneath.
Where are the trees for my itchy hide,
branches to pull on, pungent leaves?
I crave to wander; my eyes close.
I see my herd, ears flapping, rumbles
through the ground, joyous voices,
but when I look again, I am alone -
lonely and penned in, no herd here
just the loud voices of my captors.


Julie A. Dickson
Exeter, NH






Song of Mother Earth   
              


A wonderland of nature
sings a song of mother earth
plants and animals grow
celebrating every birth

Listen to the river
flowing out to sea
rustle in the tree tops
birds call out to me

Hear the cattle lowing
and dogs up on a hill
footsteps in the forest
beneath the walk until

whispers from the cloudy sky
cool breeze blows my hair
scan the distant mountain range
across lakes and valleys there

Like ancestors from our past
worship moon and father sky
cherish earth our mother
don’t let her beauty pass you by

Sit upon the granite rock
contemplate the far off plains
sing a song of mother earth
in this land where nature reigns



Julie A. Dickson
Exeter, NH

New Forum for Poems: Chrysanthemum Poems (above)

Submit poems to Chrysanthemum Poems by email to koonwoon@gmail.com