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:
- To the Bartholdi Statue poem – by Ambrose Bierce poems | Poems and Poetry
- For A Gentleman, Who, Kissinge His Friend At His Departure Left A Signe Of Blood On Her by William Strode
- A Thing of Beauty (Endymion) poem – John Keats poems
- What We Need Is Here by Wendell Berry
- Омар Хайям – Грех Хайям совершил и совсем занемог
- Astrophel and Stella: III by Sir Philip Sidney
- Free Poetry Competitions – Prepare to Win The Next Poetry Competition That You Enter!
- Alfred Lord Tennyson; The Coming Of Arthur poem – Lord Alfred Tennyson poems
- Excerpt – “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” by Roald Dahl
- Milton (Alcaics) poem – Lord Alfred Tennyson poems
- Epitaph on William Muir by Robert Burns
- Depression Before Spring by Wallace Stevens
- The Beacon Fires
- Sampan Song
- Passion by Sera Jacob
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
- River poem – Yuyutsu Sharma poems | Poetry Monster
- Rising Early poem – Yang Wan-Li poems | Poetry Monster
- Retake, Union Square poem – Yuyutsu Sharma poems | Poetry Monster
- Requiem For A Bartender’s Dream poem – Ysabelle Moriarty poems | Poetry Monster
- Repentance poem – Ygor Noblott poems | Poetry Monster
- Prisoners poem – Yusef Komunyakaa poems | Poetry Monster
- Potions poem – Yusef Komunyakaa poems | Poetry Monster
- Once Upon A Wandering Mind poem – Ysabelle Moriarty poems | Poetry Monster
- On A May Glory-A Welcome Song poem – Nithin Purple poems | Poetry Monster
- Now, What is Poetry? poem – Yang Wan-Li poems | Poetry Monster
- Night poem – Yahya Kemal Beyatli poems | Poetry Monster
- My Father’s Love Letters poem – Yusef Komunyakaa poems | Poetry Monster
- Mules poem – Yuyutsu Sharma poems | Poetry Monster
- Love’s Confession poem – Yuvraj Johri poems | Poetry Monster
- Life poem – Yahya Kemal Beyatli poems | Poetry Monster
- La Vie Boheme poem – Ysabelle Moriarty poems | Poetry Monster
- Journal Entry poem – Ysabelle Moriarty poems | Poetry Monster
- [ I think I’m there? ] poem – Ygor Noblott poems | Poetry Monster
- Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee poem – Zameer Careem poems | Poetry Monster
- Heartbreak at 2 A.M. poem – Yuvraj Johri poems | Poetry Monster
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.