For The Record

A poem by Adrienne Cecile Rich (1929 – 2012)

The clouds and the stars didn’t wage this war

the brooks gave no information

if the mountain spewed stones of fire into the river

it was not taking sides

the raindrop faintly swaying under the leaf

had no political opinions

and if here or there a house

filled with backed-up raw sewage

or poisoned those who lived there

with slow fumes, over years

the houses were not at war

nor did the tinned-up buildings

intend to refuse shelter

to homeless old women and roaming children

they had no policy to keep them roaming

or dying, no, the cities were not the problem

the bridges were non-partisan

the freeways burned, but not with hatred

Even the miles of barbed-wire

stretched around crouching temporary huts

designed to keep the unwanted

at a safe distance, out of sight

even the boards that had to absorb

year upon year, so many human sounds

so many depths of vomit, tears

slow-soaking blood

had not offered themselves for this

The trees didn’t volunteer to be cut into boards

nor the thorns for tearing flesh

Look around at all of it

and ask whose signature

is stamped on the orders, traced

in the corner of the building plans

Ask where the illiterate, big-bellied

women were, the drunks and crazies,

the ones you fear most of all: ask where you were.

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Poems in English 

• Song—Willie brew’d a Peck o’ Maut by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Song—The Tear-drop—“Wae is my heart” by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Song—The Highland Balou by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Song—The Fall of the Leaf by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Song—The Birks of Aberfeldy by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Song—Sweet Afton by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Song—Stay my Charmer by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Song—She’s Fair and Fause by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Song—O Tibbie, I hae seen the day by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Song—O let me in this ae night by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Song—O can ye Labour Lea? by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Song—Fragment—Leezie Lindsay by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Song—Farewell to the Highlands by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Song—Farewell to the Banks of Ayr by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Song—Blythe hae I been on yon hill by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Song—Beware o’ Bonie Ann by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Song—Bessy and her Spinnin Wheel by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Song—Behold the Hour, the Boat, arrive by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Song—Behold, my love, how green the groves by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Song—Awa’, Whigs, Awa’ by Robert Burns by Robert Burns

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Duckduckgo – the real alternative and a search engine that actually works. Without much censorship or partisan politics.

Yahoo– yes, it’s still around, amazingly, miraculously, incredibly, but now it seems to be powered by Bing.

 

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