Posts Tagged ‘poetry’
The Scent of the Ballot
The Inescapable Legacy: GOP Candidates Struggle to Distance Themselves from Trump By Brad Trom A decade of leaning, of holding the nose, Of bathing in sulfur where loyalty grows. They welcomed the spray for the favor it brought, Content with the aura and power they sought. Now polls start to sink and the autumn winds blow, And candidates scramble to bury the show. They scrub at their websites, erase all the names, And silence the echoes of previous flames. They think a quick rinse or a profile update Can wash off the marc they wore to the gate. They hide the red caps as the midterms draw near, And whisper new slogans to mask the fear. The Records Remain: A ninety-percent vote for the agenda stays true. The Residue Shows: No ad can erase what the past brought to view. The Verdict: When voters look close at the grocery and pump, They’ll trace every thiol right back to Trump.
WE OF THE MIDDLE AGES
By SHELIA BLAND Confronted with the realization that our dreams did not come to pass, We who raised our children with such confidence. Sure of the difference they’d make in the future. Sure that we knew what they’d need for the future. We look up to discover That the future looks just like the present— The future that is now is no different Than the present that was then. And we are too tired to go on fighting, Too tired, and too wise to believe again In a future, future That can be different from the present, present. We experience a changing of the guard. We see in our children’s eyes, our dreams of yesterday. We see in our children’s limbs, our strength of yesterday. We see in our children’s hearts, our enthusiasm of yesterday. A changing of the guard. Our selves replaced. The same dreams re-hatched. We experience despair perhaps-- A feeling of uselessness -- Of being out of step. We experience [...]
Call for Phoenix of Phillips
Phillips Writers! The theme of the next issue of The Phoenix of Phillips is "Seeding a New Community." After all we've been through in the last two years, what is your vision for a renewed neighborhood, a new world? Email or send your poems, stories and reflections by October 31 to: Semilla Center 2742 15th Ave South Minneapolis, MN 55407 semillacenter@gmail.com Writers of all levels are encouraged to submit, and there will be a special section for youth writers. The Phoenix of Phillips is our neighborhood literary magazine, for and by people who love this community!
