THANKS GIVING

by Tom Karlson

Theodore Roosevelt Equestrian Statue, American Museum of Natural History. Image source: Wikipedia

“I suppose I should be ashamed to say that I take the western view of the Indian. I don't go so far as to think that the only good Indian is the dead Indian, but I believe nine out of every ten are, and I shouldn't like to inquire too closely into the case of the tenth.”  --Theodore Roosevelt, 1886
 

That original sin
Our original sin
Not a talking snake sin
No Adam or Eve sin

This original sin
This first holocaust sin
This First Nation
60 million
Double helixed
Chromosome
Long gone sin
200 languages silenced sin
This good, dead, jailed, Indian sin

as

310 million All-Americans
Sit at the table
Football and eats
Giving thanks


Tom Karlson is founder of Poets for Peace, Long Island, NY.

THE FRAGONARDS PLAY A HOME GAME

by M. A. Schaffner

Image source: Pébéo

Through all my life I’ve grown up just enough
to step back through the looking glass and sing
nonsense songs while shaving.  You know the tunes.
Context has everything to do with death,
and that changes constantly, so today
I’ll settle for a six pack and a game
of football or Scrabble.  Let small dogs watch
as we wrestle with ambition and win
one more time, because we know its weak points.
Last night there was a moon.  There will be again
long after we uncork our last bottle.
We solved the world’s problems.  It will have more,
but I don’t need to work them any more
than will finches nesting over the grill,
or their neighbors, the squirrels, or the cats
hunting stupidly, garden to garden.


M. A. Schaffner has work recently published or forthcoming in The Hollins Critic, Magma, Tulane Review, Gargoyle, and Skirmish Magazine.  Other writings include the poetry collection The Good Opinion of Squirrels, and the novel War Boys.  Schaffner used to work as a civil servant, but now serves civil pugs.