A poem by Alan Dugan
For old Billy Dugan, shot in the ass in the Civil War, my father said.
The old wound in my ass
has opened up again, but I
am past the prodigies
of youth’s campaigns, and weep
where I used to laugh
in war’s red humors, half
in love with silly-assed pains
and half not feeling them.
I have to sit up with
an indoor unsittable itch
before I go down late
and weeping to the storm-
cellar on a dirty night
and go to bed with the worms.
So pull the dirt up over me
and make a family joke
for Old Billy Blue Balls,
the oldest private in the world
with two ass-holes and no
place more to go to for a laugh
except the last one. Say:
The North won the Civil War
without much help from me
although I wear a proof
of the war’s obscenity.

A few random poems:
- An Epigram From Homer by William Cowper
- Charms by William Henry Davies
- A Florilegium poem – Alfred Austin
- Вероника Тушнова – Тень
- The Fable of Dryope – Ovid’s Metamorphoses Book 9, [v. 324-393] poem – Alexander Pope poems | Poetry Monster
- Зинаида Александрова – Раз – два – три – четыре – пять
- What the Coal-Heaver Said by Vachel Lindsay
- The Coming Of Winter poem – Alexander Pushkin
- Владимир Маяковский – Дядя ЭМЭСПЭО
- How cruel are the parents by Robert Burns
- Philadelphia by Rudyard Kipling
- Владимир Высоцкий – Мао Цзедун большой шалун
- The Princess (part 4) poem – Lord Alfred Tennyson poems
- Robin Redbreast by William Allingham
- Robert Burns: A Winter Night :
External links
Bat’s Poetry Page – more poetry by Fledermaus
Talking Writing Monster’s Page –
Batty Writing – the bat’s idle chatter, thoughts, ideas and observations, all original, all fresh
Poems in English
- The Fool Rings His Bells by Walter de la Mare
- Tartary by Walter de la Mare
- Sunk Lyonesse by Walter de la Mare
- Some One by Walter de la Mare
- Silver by Walter de la Mare
- Old Susan by Walter de la Mare
- Off the Ground by Walter de la Mare
- November by Walter de la Mare
- Music by Walter de la Mare
- Miss Loo by Walter de la Mare
- Melmillo by Walter de la Mare
- How Sleep the Brave by Walter de la Mare
- Good-bye by Walter de la Mare
- Full Moon by Walter de la Mare
- Fare Well by Walter de la Mare
- Bones by Walter de la Mare
- At Ease by Walter de la Mare
- Alone by Walter de la Mare
- All That’s Past by Walter de la Mare
- Alexander by Walter de la Mare
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The Poetry Repository – an online library of poems, poetry, verse and poetic works
Alan Dugan (1923 – 2003) an American poet, a contemporary classic of American poetry.