The Meaning of Manning # 2
We have met the enemy and he is us
Walt Kelly (Pogo)
aiding and abetting the enemy
as though we know
as though we know
who is enemy
who is frenemy
and who is waiting for our computer walls to collapse
to rush in and-
In Stalin’s time
they would decide
guilty guilty guilty!
“actions against the state”
and in extreme unavoidable cases
take them out
and shoot them
other “traitors” would go to Siberia
we have many Siberias in America
prisons in the middle of east nowhere
which do provide jobs we hasten to add
anyway, it’s the law
and we have to live with it
die with it
look out our barred windows and
sigh with it
We’re lucky there’s not a
President McCain now a
President Romney now
who would stifle,
if needed by rifle,
any of these ten thousand secrets
leaving the bloodied halls of our Pentagon
who would say
“Democracies require secrets”
and we are a Democracy
two Parties
one choice
but we are a Democracy
a Monarchy
is when you are without choice
Will we remember
in our post-book post- magazine post -newspaper time
the names of Assange
Manning
Snowden
secular Saints all
who tried to tell us before we fell
who tried to warn us before we fell
that there was still time to change
in twenty and thirteen
still time
Bob Small
first version 7-31-2013
revised a bit on 8-1-13
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About bobsmall1
Bob Small has read at Bacchanal, Barnes and Noble, Borders,
The Booksource (Swarthmore), The Clark Park Festivals,Community College of Philadelphia
Highwire Gallery, The Mad Poets Annual Food Fest Reading,
The Middle East Restaurant, Nexus GalleryThe Painted Bride Arts Center,
The Philadelphia Ethical Society, Robin's Bookstore
The University of Pennsylvania and also in New York City,
Trenton, NJ, Washington, DC, and in many Delaware Valley Venues.
He is the author of numerous chapbooks, including
El Otro Lado (with Maralyn Lois Polak), On watching America Die,
Small Steps and Toes (with Lamont B. Steptoe), and The Unapoet.
This is his first Reading in over a year.
Bob Small was Founder and President of the
two decades old Poets and Prophets,
which presented Poetry Readings
in both Delaware County and Philadelphia.
Bob was the Chair of The Delaware County Green Party and was the
First Green Party Candidate in Delaware County (2005).
He was also a Green Party National Delegate, among other duties.
He is the Founder and Facilitator of
The Pennsylvania Ballot Access Coalition (PaBac),
which is a Coalition of both Independents and Third Parties.,
seeking to legislatively improve Pennsylvania's Ballot Access Laws. (Facebook)
Bob is also a founding member and
Facilitator of Democracy Unplugged, and Delco Debates,
which has presented Independent and Third Party Forums in Delaware County since 2004. Facebook)
He was formerly involved with Cinema Resistance, and Delco Pledge of Resistance.
Bob currently lives in Swarthmore with his wife
and their menagerie of animals.
He is currently focused on writing a Novel and organizing his Poetry, which he posts on his Blog (Bob Small1). He is retired from most of the above activities, except Delco Debates and Poets and Prophets, which he may return to.
robertthesmall 