Ryan Penn
The Bilateral Junkyard
photo/xeroximanipulation/solvent/transfer
This is the country we were left with
after all the promises not kept
the intended millionaires are now
dumpster divers
and art is too expensive to buy
but one should invest
____________________________________________
This is the dream that was slashed
all the young radicals
now old fat and safe
never trust anyone
who makes under
30,000
__________________________________________________________
This junkyard contains all the risks not taken
all the concertoes for hope and orchestra
not written
all the lovers who didn’t dare leap
and hold the dangerous one they love
This junkyard contains ideas that were not cleansed
man and women festoes never screamed
all the mom and pop art never sculpted
This junkyard contains me and you
and the me and the you we were gonna be
and the me and the you we promised to never leave
and the me and the you who exchanged blood and love
that night under the tree and the rain in the graveyard
vowing not to die
vowing never to die
____________________________________________________________________
And that power thing
that male power thing
that, if nothing else,
you knew you had
over her brown hair
over her blue eyes
over her femaleness
that is less than yours
because you are male and she
she is not
then why are you the one
who is looking up at her
why are you the one
who forgives her anything
and screams for her to do more
why are you the one
who anticipates her every step
with love
and dread
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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 