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Codename: Irony (or, A-wop-bop-osama-obama-bam-boom!)
Posted: 06 May 2011
Word Count: 170
Summary: A few thoughts on Operation Geronimo..........
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Burn in Hell! they crow and spit -
yet another knee-jerk obscenity
to further befoul a schizophrenic event
and bloat the suppurating corpse
of America's Bible-sucking hubris.
Ding-dong the witch is dead!
The arch Enemy of the State
once best-buddy of the States -
they loved him when he was blowing up 'Russkis' -
is sleeping (fast) with the fishes now.
Bigger is better and biggest is best
and we OBLiterated that sonofabitch!
Terrorist/Freedom-fighter/Cacodemon/Martyr
Bin Laden is (99 per cent certainly) dead,
assassinated by the American Empire Machine.
International Law? Geneva Convention? Justice?
We piss in their mouths - this is self-defence, dammit!
Tighten up the Bible-belt to hold in place
the Incontinence Pad of Manifest Destiny
and go stomp the Badlands of Pakistan.......
Once they had slaughtered his wife and son
they shot their (unarmed) rogue ex-friend
through the eye - and called it "killed in action".
But they saved the sickest twist for last:
how does the First Black President feel
when he hears the message, "K.I.A., GERONIMO"?
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Comments by other Members
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 James Graham at 14:54 on 08 May 2011
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Hi Mike - good to have a new poem from you, a super-topical one. One that doesn't only have an edge to it, but several edges as far as I can see. I'll enjoy it a bit more, and comment soon.
James.
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 Ticonderoga at 13:38 on 09 May 2011
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Thanks James - I make no great claims for it; it just says a few things I felt the need to get out, in lieu of vomiting!
best, Mike
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James Graham at 19:36 on 09 May 2011
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Your poem has sharp edges to it and so it should. It was political comments rather than lit crit that occurred to me first, e.g. America’s ‘best buddies’ who get out of control and have to be punished: Saddam, Osama etc. As a young man Osama answered America’s call to join their ‘International Brigade’ and fight the Russkis. The State Dept/ CIA built those camps in the wild mountains, later used for terrorist training. Maybe more lines on this theme would add an extra edge to your poem. The fact that America’s worst enemies often used to be its best friends is in line with your title - it’s a sizzling irony.
| Ding-dong the witch is dead! |
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is an inspiration. The wicked witch of the East presumably. L Frank Baum (Wizard of Oz) wrote a sort of obituary, not for Geronimo but for Sitting Bull, in which he said that now the last of the great savages is dead all the rest should be exterminated as soon as possible - put them out of their misery. I seem to remember you being very interested in Native American cultures, so I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you about the Oz-man.
Tighten up the Bible-belt to hold in place
the Incontinence Pad of Manifest Destiny
and go stomp the badlands of Pakistan....... |
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is wonderful. Bible-belt-Manifest-Destiny mumbo-jumbo deserves nothing short of merciless ridicule. Oh, I know it’s self-satirising, but it should be independently satirised as well.
Good idea for the punch-lines at the end.
The first stanza (after the first line) doesn’t work so well for me. I feel your humour lapses here, and the tone becomes more of a po-faced rant. Perhaps you might move the current second stanza to the beginning - what an opening line! - and then make a whole new stanza on the pitfalls of being America’s friend.
Enjoyed this very much - can’t get enough of this kind of thing.
James.
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Ticonderoga at 15:50 on 10 May 2011
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James -
brilliant as ever.............'po-faced' would cover it!...yes, my Native American interest was actually the stimulus for this....I'll adopt your spelling of Russkis too....wasn't very sure about that one!.....re-jigging along lines suggested will occur soonest.....so long as I don't get whisked off to more thesping assignments......Great thanks as ever.......
On a different note - I've moved back to Edinburgh permanently now and will be performing during the Festival......any chance you'll be reading at the SPL or some such?
Best,
M
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James Graham at 15:29 on 11 May 2011
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Thanks Mike. I found a renewed interest in the Native Americans when I was in Canada a few years ago. (In Canada they're First Nations.) I met and briefly talked with an Ojibway singer whose performance I had just enjoyed; his wife was Quebecoise and they sang a mixture of Ojibway, Cree and French Canadian songs.
I'd love to read at the SPL this summer but I've a feeling I'll be otherwise engaged, house/dog/grandchildren sitting. All the best for your own performances though.
James.
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purpletandem at 22:58 on 12 May 2011
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For me, one word sums it all up - assassination.
You said "I felt the need to get out, in lieu of vomiting!" and I think that feeling comes across very strongly in the poem, to good effect.
Thanks for this poem, Ticonderoga.
pt
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Ticonderoga at 15:17 on 14 May 2011
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James -
You lucky thing. Very envious. Sounds as though you're going to have your hands full, though!
Best, Mike
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 FelixBenson at 12:50 on 15 May 2011
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This poem is as wizz-bang as the energy behind it (projectile !). Well put together, and spot on. A fantastic (and entirely appropriate) sardonic tone !
Bin Laden is (99 per cent certainly) dead,
assassinated by the American Empire Machine. |
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this too:
Tighten up the Bible-belt to hold in place
the Incontinence Pad of Manifest Destiny |
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The final lines really go for the jugular.
Enjoyed.
I'll be around for the festival. Post details of your show and I will try and come along.
Cheers, Kirsty
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 V`yonne at 13:09 on 15 May 2011
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Oh very well said! Of course now he's dead he'll never die - but I don't think Americans 'get' that kind of irony - just we 'nailed him' and forgetful of the very cross they purport to venerate... Nuff of my rantings - like it!
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Ticonderoga at 14:28 on 15 May 2011
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Kirsty -
Ta muchly. I'm doing Cherry Orchard with Theatre Alba at Duddingston.....playing the oldest Trofimiov in theatre hostory!! Let me know if you're up to anything creative................Thanks again for the kind comments.......
Best, Mike
<Added>
I'm back living in edinburgh now, so am in situ to go to 'stuff'.......
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Ticonderoga at 14:30 on 15 May 2011
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V'yonne - thanks very much for the wordsd of approval..........time for me to catch up with some reading - and commenting.............
Best,
Mike
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