A poem by Alan Dugan
As an American traveler I have
to remember not to get actionably mad
about the way things are around here.
Tomorrow I’ll be a thousand miles away
from the way it is around here. I will
keep my temper, I will not kill the dog
next door, nor will I kill the next-door wife,
both of whom are crazy and aggressive
and think they live at the center of culture
like everyone else in this college town.
This is because I’m leaving, I’m taking off
by car, by light plane, by jet, by taxicab,
for some place else a thousand miles away,
so I caution myself: control your rage,
even if it causes a slight heart attack.
Stay out of jail tonight before you leave,
and don’t get obstreperous in transit tomorrow
so as to stay out of jail on arrival tomorrow night.
Think: the new handcuffs are sharp inside
and meant to cut the wrists. You’re not too old
to be raped in their filthy overcrowded jails
and you’ll lose your glasses and false teeth.
How would you eat, study and be
a traveling lecturer if you got out alive and sane?
So remember to leave this place peacefully,
it’s only Asshole State University at Nowheresville,
and remember to get to the next place peacefully,
it’s only Nowhere State University at Assholesville
and you must travel from place to place for food and shelter.
A few random poems:
- Владимир Маяковский – Вегетарианцы
- Mirage poem – Amy Lowell poems | Poems and Poetry
- The Immortal Part poem – A. E. Housman
- Meäry Wedded by William Barnes
- Sir Giles’ War-Song by William Morris
- Шекспир – Лелеет лето лучший свой цветок – Сонет 94
- The Rain by Robert Creeley
- Низами Гянджеви – Ты видишь: я твой давний друг
- Accidents by Russell Edson
- All Thats Not Love
- In shadows of night
- Robert Burns: Versicles On Sign-Posts :
- Friendship poem – Alexander Pushkin
- Иван Барков – Выбор
- Алексей Жемчужников – Я музыкальным чувством обладаю
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
- Olney Hymn 26: On Opening A Place For Social Prayer by William Cowper
- Olney Hymn 24: Prayer For Children by William Cowper
- Olney Hymn 23: Pleading For And With Youth by William Cowper
- Olney Hymn 22: Prayer For A Blessing In The Young by William Cowper
- Lines Addressed To Dr. Darwin, Author Of The ‘Botanic Garden.’ by William Cowper
- Joy In Martyrdom by William Cowper
- Invitation To The Redbreast by William Cowper
- Inscription For The Tomb Of Mr. Hamilton by William Cowper
- Inscription For A Stone Erected At The Sowing Of A Grove Of Oaks At Chillington, Anno 1791 by William Cowper
- Inscription For A Stone Erected At The Sowing Of A Grove Of Oaks At Chillington, Anno 1790 by William Cowper
- Inscription For A Moss-House In The Shrubbery At Weston by William Cowper
- Inscription For A Hermitage In The Author’s Garden by William Cowper
- In Seditionem Horrendam, Corruptelis Gallicus Ut Fertue, Londini Nuper Exortam by William Cowper
- In Memory Of The Late John Thornton, Esq. by William Cowper
- In A Letter To C. P. Esq. In Imitation Of Shakspeare by William Cowper
- In A Letter To C. P. Esq. Ill With The Rheumatism by William Cowper
- Hymn For The Use Of The Sunday School At Olney by William Cowper
- Hope, Like The Short-lived Ray That Gleams Awhile by William Cowper
- Gratitude And Love To God by William Cowper
- Gratitude, Addressed To Lady Hesketh by William Cowper
More external links (open in a new tab):
Doska or the Board – write anything
Search engines:
Yandex – the best search engine for searches in Russian (and the best overall image search engine, in any language, anywhere)
Qwant – the best search engine for searches in French, German as well as Romance and Germanic languages.
Ecosia – a search engine that supposedly… plants trees
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.
Parallel Translations of Poetry
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.