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:
- Bridge-Guard in the Karroo by Rudyard Kipling
- Владимир Маяковский – Раньше буржуи о производстве думали… (РОСТА №792)
- Robert Burns: Pinned To Mrs. Walter Riddell’s Carriage:
- Иван Барков – Выбор
- Как сегодня тихо в классе
- A Cure At Porlock poem – Amy Clampitt poems | Poems and Poetry
- Drunken Memories Of Anne Sexton
- Imitations of Horace: The First Epistle of the Second Book poem – Alexander Pope
- Hira Singhs Farewell To Burmah
- In This Cul De Sac
- Николай Некрасов – Детство
- To Beatrice Stuart–Wortley Ætat poem – Alfred Austin
- Mother, I Cannot Mind My Wheel by Sappho
- Epigram—The Toad-eater by Robert Burns
- Lovers since Eternity by Preeth Nambiar
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
- Олег Григорьев – Ну, как тебе на ветке
- Олег Григорьев – Не свались в колодец, Ольга
- Олег Григорьев – На заборе валенки
- Олег Григорьев – На собрании
- Олег Григорьев – На боку кобура болталась
- Олег Григорьев – Мотылек
- Олег Григорьев – Много нас по подобию божию
- Олег Григорьев – Мазохисту на лавке
- Олег Григорьев – Люди
- Олег Григорьев – Лежу я в одиночестве
- Олег Григорьев – Кресло рассохлось
- Олег Григорьев – Крадучись, точно вор
- Олег Григорьев – Конфеты
- Олег Григорьев – Комары
- Олег Григорьев – Картинка
- Олег Григорьев – Как вы думаете, где лучше тонуть
- Олег Григорьев – Как бумажный пароходик
- Олег Григорьев – К себе домой из дальних стран
- Олег Григорьев – Иду я среди голодный
- Олег Григорьев – Григорьев Олег ел тыкв
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.