Mayday

Posted on November 1, 2023 by 
Mayday *
by Marian Shapiro

				  
				  

They’re falling
falling  clusters 
clusterbombs    feathers
feathers 	blood      ducks dropping
dropping   dead  					shot
shot mid-air
mid-air  blood showers
showers              hail
hailstones		     blood
blood-streaked stones felled to earth
earthquake   flood    fire
fire   pyre  crematorium
crematorium    where you
you mother father 
fathermother of  you
you friend   wife   husband				 dead
dead on these pages
pages of children pages 
pages pictures  poems
poems    pages           remembrances 
remembrances of the fallen
fallen, all fallen
fallen all.


* The etymology of Mayday is from the French, “M’AIDER” or M’AIDEZ”,  namely, “help me”.

Copyright 2023 Marian Shapiro

Marian Kaplun Shapiro is a psychologist and author of five books of poetry. "Mayday" was originally  published in Players In The Dream, Dreamers In The Play, Plain View Press, 2007.
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Conflict, Tragedy, Resolution: Poems and Essays

Posted on October 31, 2023 by

In response to the ongoing tragedy in the Middle East, I will be posting poems of protest, of witness, of resistance, of survival and of empathy by poets from all over the country and, hopefully, from all over the world. Beginning tomorrow, November 1, and through the rest of the month, a new poem by a different poet will be posted. It is my intention to also post essays on the same theme should any arrive in my inbox.

This is an on-going project open to everyone Just send me a poem or an essays following these guidelines.

Please read and respond. Let’s start a dialogue. Let’s make an impact. Let’s not forget the innocent victims who suffer each day.

To peace.

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Call for Poems and Essays: Conflict, Tragedy, Resolution

Posted on October 31, 2023 by

In light of the recent tragedy that occurred in Israel on October 7 and the resultant, ongoing tragedy that is happening in Gaza, I am putting out a call for poems and essays related to Conflict, Tragedy, Resolution: poems of protest, poems of witness, poems of resistance, poems of survival and poems of empathy. Poems that address both humanity and inhumanity as manifested in this and all conflicts, past and present.

I am also looking for short, personal essays that address the themes above, especially essays of personal experience or from those close to you who have had such experiences. Holocaust survivors. Palestinians who have been bulldozed out of their homes. Ukrainians who have fled their towns and villages for safer ground. Whatever the conflict, whatever the era, I want your poems and essays. No matter your race, no matter your tribe, I want to hear your thoughts on the atrocities that only human beings can perpetrate.

Selected poems and essays will be posted on my web site, mikemaggio.net, on a daily basis throughout the month of Noverm. All rights will revert to the author.

Poems and essays should not contain any racist, hateful or misogynistic language and should be between 10 and 20 lines. Essays should be no longer than 2 pages. Please include a short bio.

Send your best and most powerful work. Let’s make an impact on the world.

For further information or to submit, contact me at poem@mikemaggio.net

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Collateral Damage

Posted on October 31, 2023 by 
(we regret the loss of)
	civilian casualties
(we regret the loss of)
	innocent bystanders
	independent observers
	unembedded reporters

(we regret the loss)
	

(we regret the)
	Ministry of Finance
(we regret the)
	Press Building
(we regret)
(we regret)
	the Ministry of Culture
	Children’s Hospital
	the pharmaceutical facility
(we)

(regret)
(regret)
(regret)

(the loss of)
	doctors
(the loss of) 
(the loss of)
(we)
	nurses
(we)
(regret)
(the loss)
(of)

	medical supplies
(the lossof)
	syringes
(the lossof)
	pain killers

(the lossof regret we)

(regret)
	history
(the loss of) 
(we apologize)
(we’re sorry for your)
           geographical location	
	house
	your market
(we regret the)
(regret)
	the bridge across the river
(our condolences for)
(our deepest sorrow)
(our commiseration)
(our pity for)
	your baby
	your wife
	your son
	your husband

(we regret the)
(thethethethethethethethe)

(we regret the)
	values
(we insist)
(we claim)
(we maintain)
(we regret the)
	liberation
(the lossof)
	oil
(we regret)
	the country
(we maintain the regret of)

(we do regret)
	freedom
(we regret the)
	constitution
(we regret the lossof)
(we regret the lossof)
	freedom of press
(we do)
(we do)
(we do so regret)
	freedom of speech
(the lossof the lossof the lossof)
(the)
	right to a fair trial
(thethethethethethethethe)
	right to counsel
(we regret the)
(we)
(we)
(we)
(we regret)
(we so regret)
(we do so regret)
(we do hereby declare)
(we swear on our mothers)
(we swear on the flag)
(we swear on the bible)
(we swear on the corporation)
(we’re sorry)
(the number you have dialed)
(we’re so sorry)
(we sincerely apologize)
(we can’t express our)
(we regret the loss of)

Copyright 2007, 2023 by Mike Maggio

This poem originally appeared in my collection, deMockracy (Plain View Press, 2007), partially funded by a grant from The Puffin Foundation.

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After the Beheading

Posted on October 30, 2023 by 
After the Beheading
 
What they did
they did
in the name of god

in the name of god

as long 
as I have
head
or tongue
or hand
I will not remain silent

in the name of god
the godless
did
what they did

and the world quaked

what god
could create
such acts
in the name of
such men

what god

they did
what they did

in the name of god

not spit nor brass
shall glorify them

no god
shall pull asunder
what god has rendered

no man
shall render god
godless
in what they do

for god
in his magic
will render godless
in all their godliness
no godlier
that what they did
god
in his magic wisdom
will render
on this horrid, bloodless day

in the name of god

on this day
no god
shall remain
as ungodly as thou
on this day
no god
shall remain

in the name of god
I do hereby swear

Copyright 2007, 2023 by Mike Maggio

This poem originally appeared in my collection, deMockracy (Plain View Press, 2007), partially funded by a grant from The Puffin Foundation.

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That Day on the Gaza

Posted on October 29, 2023 by

This poem was written during the first Palestinian intifada. Because of what’s happening now in Gaza following the brutal Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, I am posting it here today.

While no one should condone what took place that day, we should not forget that oppressed people can only be oppressed for so long. The fight for freedom never dies. The pressure can build for only so long before the pressure cooker explodes.

There’s only one solution for peace — for both the Palestinians and the Israelis: a political solution which involves two, independent states.

They were tired. 
They had waited twenty years. 
Too many houses had fallen 
too many olive groves destroyed. 
The songs of Fairuz 
veiled their patient tongues. 
The barbed wire fence 
encaged the camps 
like a prison. 
 
That day on the Gaza 
the children were playing in the broken gutter. 
The men in kuffiyyas 
were waiting restlessly 
for their bus to the quarries. 
There was a woman in black 
squatting on the sidewalk. 
She was selling fruits and herbs. 
She was washing her wares 
in her quiet tears. 
 
A young boy picked up an angry stone. 
Then the soldiers came 
then there was wailing 
then the sounds of silence died. 
 
Give me a stone, 
I don't need no gun. 
Guns were made 
by the hands of the warden. 
Stones were made 
by the hand of God. 
 
Give me a stone, 
I will fill up the sky. 
The sky is a place 
that has no limits.
Freedom is a tree 
that never dies.

Copyright 1988, 2023 by Mike Maggio

This poem originally appeared in my chapbook, Oranges From Palestine (Mardi Gras Press, 1996).

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Three Soft Shoes

Posted on October 24, 2023 by

Three soft shoes hidden
among the smokey rubble
played once upon a time.

Copyright 2023 Mike Maggio

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Featured Book Listing: 2023 International Book Awards

Posted on October 22, 2023 by

Let’s Call It Paradise, winner of the International Book Award for Contemporary Poetry, is now a featured book listing on the American Book Fest web site. For more information or to purchase, check it out.

And I am still selling signed copies of the first edition (without the award emblem) for only $9 including shipping.

If you are interested, click the link below to purchase via PayPal or credit card, or simply send me an email or message me through this web site.

<form action=”https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr” method=”post” target=”_top”> <input type=”hidden” name=”cmd” value=”_s-xclick” /> <input type=”hidden” name=”hosted_button_id” value=”QL6THAWEDDB2L” /> <input type=”hidden” name=”currency_code” value=”USD” /> <input type=”image” src=”https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_buynowCC_LG.gif” border=”0″ name=”submit” title=”PayPal – The safer, easier way to pay online!” alt=”Buy Now” /> </form>

And remember: books made great gifts.

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Poetry Workshop October 14 from 1-3 EST

Posted on October 6, 2023 by

On October 14, from 1-3 PM EST, Mike Maggio will present a collage poetry workshop to the Poets on the Green Line. To attend, please follow this link on Saturday October 14th, and make sure to have a favorite book or magazine available for use.

Mike Maggio is an award-winning poet whose most recent book, Let’s Call It Paradise, won the International Book Award for Contemporary Poetry. He has two books forthcoming: a collection of poetry called A Brief Gazelle: Poems of Love and Grief (San Francisco Bay Press) and a novel, The Woman in the Abbey (Vine Leave Press), scheduled for 2025. His web site is www.mikemaggio.net.

Please join us for a great opportunity to create with this Internationally Award winning Author and great friend to Poets on the Green Line…

Join Zoom meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7804483275?pwd=cnZtREc0UXZLV2dvZ2tWMHhUUXB5QT09

Topic: PGL Monthly Meeting
Time: October 14th, 2023 01:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Meeting ID: 780 448 3275, Passcode: PoetsOtGL

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An Interview with Edward Belfar

Posted on September 21, 2023 by

Earlier this year, Edward Belfar’s new novel, A Very Innocent Man, was released by Flexible Press. The story tackles the opioid crisis and involves an unscrupulous doctor who willingly participates in fueling the opioid addiction crisis, destroying everyone in his path who tries to interfere with his profits and his upscale lifestyle.

Recently, I interviewed Belfar about the novel and his reasons for tackling such an important and disturbing topic. The interview can be found here.

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