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 – Шестой
- A Seed by William Allingham
- Adieu to Belshanny by William Allingham
- Вера Павлова – Память, дырявый мешок
- On Glenriddell’s Fox breaking his chain: A Fragment by Robert Burns
- Adam: A Sacred Drama. Act 5. by William Cowper
- Омар Хайям – Кто мне скажет что завтра случится со мной
- Владимир Маяковский – Нам бы только вот это воскресити… (РОСТА)
- Attention please! Attention please! by Roald Dahl
- the_world.html
- Francesca poem – Ezra Pound poems
- Владимир Маяковский – Вот что говорил Ленин на съезде политпросветов (Главполитпросвет №385)
- The Stinging Nettle poem – A. E. Housman
- Юргис Балтрушайтис – Не касайся моих чертежей
- Life poem – Yahya Kemal Beyatli poems | Poetry Monster
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
- Владимир Бенедиктов – Праздник на биваке
- Владимир Бенедиктов – Пожар
- Владимир Бенедиктов – Потоки
- Владимир Бенедиктов – Пируя праздник возвращенья
- Владимир Бенедиктов – Певец
- Владимир Бенедиктов – Песнь соловья
- Владимир Бенедиктов – Пещеры Кизиль-коба
- Владимир Бенедиктов – Переход
- Владимир Бенедиктов – Переселение
- Владимир Бенедиктов – Отзыв на вызов
- Владимир Бенедиктов – Звездочет
- Владимир Бенедиктов – Знакомое место
- Владимир Бенедиктов – Желания
- Владимир Бенедиктов – Затмение
- Владимир Бенедиктов – Запретный плод
- Владимир Бенедиктов – Южная ночь
- Владимир Бенедиктов – Я знаю, люблю я бесплодно
- Владимир Бенедиктов – Я. П. Полонскому
- Владимир Бенедиктов – Христианские мысли перед битвами
- Владимир Бенедиктов – Вьющееся растение
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.