May 17th Dream
_________________________________
This was 1941, years before my birth
this birth at least, and this me was at
the Germantown Draft Board claiming
Conscientous Objector Status
and who wanted
“a soldier who refused to shoot”
________________________
“a soldier who refused to shoot”
risked himself and others
and whether coward or saint
whether coward or saint
had a right
not to do wrong, had a right-
__________________________
This was 1971, this was me
college dropout who failed
to fail the physical, failed to
wear a dress, failed the funda
mentals of being mental
_________________________________
failed the funda mentals of being mental
Returned with first wife and only father
to plead my case, K and A draft board
were out of CO Quota, unclear what to do
decided I was a pain in the rectum
finally told me to “get the fuck out”
“get the fuck out” True story true story
______________________________________
what if Israeli soldiers, Hamas Militants
and anyone on either side, on either side
woke up one day and decided they wanted
decided they wanted to wake up many more
wake up many more
and no longer fight
__________________________________
no longer have this fight
that nobody wins
nobody wins
and if the leaders
still want a war let them fight it!
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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 