Beijing Dancing
(TO MLP’s line”-
“the problem isn’t that
dancing leads to sex,
the problem is that
sex leads to dancing,
In the photo _*
they are young and lithe
dancing for freedom
as they dream it
have their legs now been broken
can they still dance
________________________________
I thought of this as China’s nine teen six ties
perhaps they will call our time America’s 1989
perhaps we only seem freer
because the whole world
does not watch our genocides
our MOVE Murders were seen
and accepted, it seems
_________________________________
The Germans murdered Jews
Now Israel is murdering Palestinians
is this a circle that never ends
can people only dance in photos
in Poems
must there always be more murdered
in Central America
in West Philadelphia
___________________________
In the photo
they are dancing free
I hope they are still dancing
and have many more moments
_____________________
In the photo
no students have yet been shot
no civilians stabbed
no soldiers from the People’s Army
have killed the people
how much more fighting must we do
to get inside the photo
and bring others inside a widening circle of peace
Bob Small 6-10-89
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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 
What an affecting poem, powerful and moving.
As for that line by MLP did I really say that? Times change. Now, it’s sciatica.