17 Comments
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Mary Engel's avatar

“I can't comprehend people who

lie so religiously

you don't understand a word they say”

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John R. Dundon II EA's avatar

with concepts so foreign to God

they might as well be

instruments of torture

designed to be used exclusively on children

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So Already by Joan Soble's avatar

David, I think your poem is terrific. Thank you for "volcanic sadness," among so many other phrases. Part of what inspires me to write distinctly non-journalistic and non-political "stuff" is that I don't want to have the "experts on the news" control all the language we use and hear. We have to keep alive the idea that it's okay not to know everything, and it's even okay to have some optimism. I am going to share this poem with others. Thank you.

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Bruce Isaacson's avatar

David Lerner died in 1998, but his writing lives on at zeitgeist-press.com.

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Bruce Isaacson's avatar

He wrote a very funny and true poem about Trump before leaving us called, I think ,We Are Being Driven Mad..

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So Already by Joan Soble's avatar

Thanks, Bruce, for that information.

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Rea de Miranda's avatar

Lying has become an international sport. Great post!

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Donca Vianu, MD's avatar

So much to the point! Superb! Thank you.

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Therawness's avatar

why some stunned slut of a reporter

can grin into a steel eye so fateful with power

it changes everything it sees

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Ash's avatar

oh how the western news has been so complicit in the injustice and pain of the world. a worthy piece, as an ol war journo, i approve this poetry. <3

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Kerry's avatar

Once upon a time at art school, I studied sound and video art installation- I am of course drawn to the visual of video monitor Talking Heads in your post. Well one of our Visiting Artist teachers was Shikegu Kubota , married to Nam June Paik, a Korean artist, considered the Father of video art installations- during this workshop class with his wife who is Japanese we discovered that her close friend was Yoko Ono - so ALL we wanted to know about every class was about John & Yoko. That was the year the MCA in Chicago honored his artwork. I live near , grew up around Worcester Art Museum who has one of Nam June Paik's video sculptures entitled " Robert Goddard" who worked on rocketry in Worcester, MA. I haven't read your poem offering thoroughly yet as I am struck by visuals and that memory layer, so thank you.

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D.J. Jordan's avatar

F**KIN' A ❤️☮️

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Tim Kok-Seng Wong's avatar

I really like this poem. The first sentence simply draws me in - “experts on the news, wholesaling cheap wisdom at retail prices.”

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Kim Cartwright's avatar

So good - so many beautifully formed lines!

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Maha's avatar
May 7Edited

An Introduction to David🔥Lerner:

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/blog/uncategorized/49698/david-lerner

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Roaren's avatar

“A birthday party for horror to which they’ll bring practical gifts”

…damn

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Amking's avatar

Beautifully written!

To quote another substack, "It is all so tiresome!"

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