-1America

talks to Her Son, Manhattan

When Earth dropped you upon my table, all my Boroughs trembled. He knew your breadth when Wind sighed, but had not felt your heart beating from within him. Wind told me he would carry you, but did not know your weight, Ocean said she would clean you, but did not know your caress, Sky said he would watch over you, but knew not your destination. No parent should bury a child, nor father drop his youngest, no sister wash her twin, nor ancestor peddle in their pity places. No daughter fight her father, nor spouse her husband. For blood is thicker than oil, though it may not seem so. For skin replaces itself, and bodies become renewed. For without loveskies and oceans colorless blue and wreck upon themselves, wind blows sand and desert becomes rain, and houses, divided, fall upon themselves. For love becomes stale, and day becomes night and we live where light can't sustain us. And this above all: No blood stand idly by, and let Earth take her family. No mother forget her brother, no sun forget the moon, no revenge to be taken, unless blood spilled too soon. And when the sun rises from the west and sets in the east,

when beggar becomes rich and most becomes least, when tyranny reigns supreme, and liar becomes king, and lie gains ring, there is only one question. To spill blood or to spill oil? That is the question. Whether tis' nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune or take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing, end them. My dear son, my sweet, sweet, dear, son, I shall walk upon your places I shall frame your picturesque void, I shall fight Earth, though it pains me to do so.

Though day might be long and breakfast short, though Wind and Ocean, bickering and restless, and Earth, full of regret, my son, my dear, dear, sweet, I shall join your ranks. In memoriam: 9/11 and America's Post 9/11 Wars in the Middle East (Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, and whatever may follow.) -Dean O. How well does "America" go with "Manhattan?" Help a starving artist! Share "America" on facebook by using the readcast button on the left column. That way, I will be able to focus on writing you more quality content. Read more of my poetry, ordered by what I think is the best quality: 1. America Talks to Her Son, Manhattan 2. Ireland as a Metaphor for Poetry

3. Comas Dripping (very abstract, so sit with it for awhile) 4. Your Name is Jessica Claire 5. Katherine's the Baddest Baby on the Block 6. Marlboros Join the 27 Club 7. Lobster Season in Massachusetts 8. 9 Men Up for the Red Sox (vs. the Yankees) 9. Blue is the Color of Our Love (after e.e. cummings "i carry your heart with me") 10. Between the Mountains and the Sea 11. Manhattan Talks to His Son, the Concrete (to be read in conjunction with "America Talks to Her Son, Manhattan") 12. Daffodils Wither in the Sink(after William Carlos William's "The Red Wheel Barrow") 13. Age (after Edgar Allen Poe's "Annabel Lee") 14. Love XXV (after Khalil Gibran Khalil's "Beauty XXV") 15. Arab Women and the Arab Spring 16. For Lost Love: Arab Fruit 17. For Brailey 18. The Mona Lisa and the Quran 19. Becca Walks like Rain 20. Love is Not a Heard Emotion (after Spike Mulligan's "A Silly Poem") Or read by my alter egos

Dean O.
1. America Talks to Her Son, Manhattan 2. Ireland as a Metaphor for Poetry 3. Comas Dripping 4. Your Name is Jessica Claire 5. Katherine's the Baddest Baby on the Block 6. Marlboros Join the 27 Club 7. Lobster Season in Massachusetts 8. 9 Men Up for the Red Sox (vs. the Yankees) 9. Manhattan Talks to His Son, the Concrete (to be read in conjunction with "America Talks to Her Son, Manhattan") 10. For Brailey 11. Becca Walks like Rain

Sword of Religion
1. Between the Mountains and the Sea 2. Arab Women and the Arab Spring 3. For Lost Love: Arab Fruit 4. The Mona Lisa and the Quran

Safe Imitation

1. Blue is the Color of Our Love (after e.e. cummings' "i carry your heart with me") 2. Daffodils Wither in the Sink (after William Carlos William's "The Red Wheel Barrow") 3. Age (after Edgar Allen Poe's "Annabel Lee") 4. Love XXV (after Khalil Gibran Khalil's "Beauty XXV"') 5. Love is Not a Hard Emotion (after Spike Mulligan's "A Silly Poem") If you made it this far, congratulations! I love you. Spread the good word.