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Poems from 2023

December

Barrel of MonkeysWhat a barrel of monkeys,
Into the SeaInto the sea, the Mediterranean Sea,
Rule By ConsentUntil the day dies, until night covers all,
TouchLet us walk, if you will, through the avenues
VestaVesta, guardian of eternal fire, what life
To the Girl Behind the Pharmacy CounterYou with the smile, asking favors with eyes only,
More Than One PowerThe Romans did not like surprises (the Greeks did!)
Who Does the Promising?When will the promises of science
Out on the FrontierIn the morning, one hardly
Home From ElysiumAs Bach and Beethoven encoded
Red Tinge on East StarAlone in my hills, on a night growing cold,

November

Pliable by NatureNo one has a sure foundation,
CrossroadsWhere do we go from here, when so much has been said
By ExampleIn the seventh year of the reign of Trump,
Ready For ChangeSunrise, after a long doubt, and
Origins IIIn a reverie, I still recall
Still MoreUnder the earth, in a cavern man-made
Doctor of WordsThere is a madness, a kind of playful
The House of the Dead III remember, back when it all started,

October

Bones (How Things Stand)Someone must put into words how things stand,
Discard Them AlreadyWho would have thought such a thing had a spirit,
Turning the PageTurning the page in the saga
The AbbeyI saw her atop the stair, so long ago,
Stronger KnowledgeFrom Kant we have taken the fruit
A New WayCan we handle another Kennedy, or will he
From Time to TimePhilosophers are the leaves of the family tree,
The Most Peaceful StreamI was always a wanderer, born

September

Through the HorizonFirst day on the job, I walked
Someone Tell WittgensteinSomeone tell Wittgenstein that Europe alone
Submission in DisguiseOuter peace demands inner war.
Strangeness of the OrdinaryI suppose we should thank Wallace Stevens
We Silly MammalsIt turns out the song
A Typical DayOn a typical day, all the typical people
Kennedy's PeaceThoughts go once more to John Kennedy,
That which wants to be saidNo one is happy, nor has one ever been,
Walking the LineFrom the darkness, a leader
Rapt FutilityStrange to sit here in the light
Through All Our FearsI have found my way now to the nether regions,

August

Hitler's GraveI went to Hitler's grave the other day,
Trust or FreedomWe can either have trust or freedom,
All Those Ages AgoWhat was the point of it all,
With Great JusticeWe were a people that never did wish to be led,
Sources IIIn the dampness, a little resentment
Westward TicketI have forgone my westward ticket
Leave MeAt sunset, the birds
We were always at war with natureWe were always at war with nature
In this hour of wakeningIn this hour of wakening, what spirit comes

July

The House of the DeadHe had only begun to understand
Where it BelongsI am coming to the point,
In the FieldAs I survey my field, I remember
ArrivalI have been on a journey towards myself,
A Raid on DelphiWe were the last to arrive, and by then
I have known womenI have known women (I have known them well)
To Even Have a DreamWhat a crazy swirl life is,
Moldy ThinkingI can smell disaster ahead,
BindWonder, wonder of the mind,
In the depths of itIn the depths of it, wondering
This Way ForeverI have been trying toaster ovens,
SpiralingSpiraling, spiraling, into the whirl,
Inexorably Ever AfterIs it time for a new beginning?
Clarity is like DeathClarity is like death, disallowing
Wouldn't it be niceWouldn't it be nice if we

June

Blank SpaceIn a field of blank space
What Surprises RemainWith a small bit of horsepower,
Better JudgmentIt is time to reflect, to remember
DreamsWhen I consider the teenagers over the way,
No Single ForceI think that we know
Flying LessonsSoaring bird large
Ideal RepublicAsia has had no ideal republic,
Both How and WhyIt is unwise to blame bad sheep
Saying New SayingsThe Supreme Intelligence in all of its forms
Pain That One Calls HomeWe are out here searching for something,
Uncivilized After All These YearsBy the power invested in the personless rationality
HabitsWhere is it going, this spiralling void
Corporate ManIt's a god! It's a hero!
Rolling WavesI am going out to sea,
Some MenSome men are born
EudaimoniaIn a room of thinkers, I was quiet,
Banishing NightNo great poet has ever made a difference,

April

Wait, Think, SpeakStillborn I fell through the silence of water
Where They Can See YouYour feelings may threaten their power,
They May Be RightI was here before, but did not know it.
The Thin VeilHow many graves will it take before
Menagerie of RulesThere are no universalizable maxims,
MonotheismWill monotheism suffice?
Stop the BombingAmazing isn't it, how easily one now
The ScientistThe scientist pauses, haunched
ContritionI believe we are waiting for Caesar,
The ProtestantThe Protestant weeps
Some OtherUpon the way backward
DutyThere are those who accept the old Duty
WallowWho can stand them, obsessed
Untold MiseryHow can there have been so much
Good EyesI was born sighted in a tribe of the blind,
Little BirdLittle bird sings of the break of spring,
The Way of the NightLike no one's business, I entered
culminationYou would think that by now
Who are we?The peoples of the Mediterranean
Something About PlatoThere's just something about Plato
The Question of DemocracyThe People are not worthy of their servants
SourcesNo more the uneducated masses,
On Whose AuthorityThe people demand a show, like always,
What time is thisThey are proud to have learned their lessons
Some NaturesSome natures are harmful,
If He Would Speak TodayIf he would speak today, the Poet
At EleusisFollow these steps, if you dare

March

Plain and TrueI watch them working slowly,
Saving DaylightWhen is there an end to it, the wailing
Not even sure who to askEven the clock on my HVAC
As She WillShe grasped my hand, and off we flew
Larger Accomplishments (Pragmatism)Must they be true to be useful, or is it
So Very GreekIt is sad, don't you know, to be living here now
The Realm of ReasonHave we tired yet of clocks and steamships?
UnfriendlyAfter all these years one would have thought
Small All the SameCaught up withal in the most divine madness
The Drums of AlexanderAlexander stood finally tall on Persepolis
Come AgainIt has come again, this time
The Throne of CyrusI feel the weight of Cyrus,
Ahura Mazda (the Question Remains)All hail Ahura Mazda, all hail!

February

The Sound a Plant MakesWill any number of plants relieve the pressure?
The Quest for the Immortal SelfAfter all, it is you and I who are perfect, not the…
Night Sweats of the American DreamThe Radium Girls, the serial killers,
A more tolerant orderWe cannot replace law with tolerance,
Like No AngelWandering homeward, overland
The Promise of the LadyCome to the temple,
DwindleIn the midst of plurality,
Nutrition by Faith AloneDinner options: (1) Take it (2) Leave it
Rest UnassuredWith the shadows dawning, with dawn descending,
Emptiness That None Can UnderstandWe have not proved that life be regular,

January

StrangersAs I sit by candlelight,
Sick With StruggleHere we are, still monotheist saints
As Life May Yet BeWordsworth said of a poem:
Think Not AbsolutelyThere's a shimmer on the air, comes flowing over
Wait For AnotherIn the aftermath of clockwork decaying,
SpecimensAre we to remain collections
Slumber Much BetterAgain I find myself alone
HorizonsWhere did we get the sponge that could wipe the…
Elite WatersI have dipped my toes in elite waters,