Gary Corseri

Gary Corseri Poems

Who are these fools who talk so glibly
about war, and sending messages, our role
in the world, credibility? Who elected them,
who signs their checks, what games do they play
...

2.

He had a little truth;
He held it with his might.
A little, shining thing
To get him through the night.
...

That night, you went swimming in my brain
and all your scales were glimmering;
you sang an old song, too,
about the wind in a bamboo forest.
...

When Kathy Kelly Went to Jail


by GARY CORSERI
...

I dream of bamboo women:
slender, arching reeds along the river bank,
swaying long, lean bodies
as yellow as the face of China.
...

The people of Somalia are not like us.
Their skin is black and gray and parched by sun.
They carry their babies on bony hips,
Walking for miles for a little water.
...

He wants a new language!

Ratta-tat-tat! Ratta-tat-tat!
...

When the Poets Went on Strike

1.
...

I write for the men of a thousand years hence—
And the women—and their healthy children.
And if they are suffering, if night is day,
Then I will drink the cup of despair with them,
...

(Author’s Note: The recent attack on the Doctors Without Borders’ hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, followed quickly by US politicians, generals and media strange non-apologies and excuses, pointing their errant fingers elsewhere…, regrettably put me in mind of another incident, early in this seemingly endless Afghan War, where the term “collateral damage” had also been blithely applied to a massacre. I wrote the following at that time, and sadly find it still applicable now.- Gary Corseri)

We were sorry to hear the bombs that were meant
to fall on a home adjacent to yours
...

Her mind is no less than the autumn light
upon the heirlooms that arrange her home
upon the hill that overlooks the sea.
Like polished silver in the peace of night
...

When the Great Man died
the hypocrites came out and cried,
"When shall we see his like again? "
...

(for Joye- )

Now float me down from that high town, my love;
for we are born to sorrow, men have said,
...

Gary Corseri Biography

I grew up in Brooklyn and Queens (New York City) , moved to Miami Beach when I was 16, started at the U. of Florida at 17. I've lived in Boston, Gainesville, Florida, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Sydney, Australia, Tokyo and Sapporo, Japan, and have traveled in 33 countries and 40 states. I started writing when I was 8 years old. I've performed my work at the Carter Presidential Library and Museum and at scores of universities and coffee houses and bars around the world. My dramas have been performed at universities and public schools in the US; a movie version of the libretto I wrote for the opera, 'Reverend Everyman, ' was broadcast over PBS-Atlanta. I have written articles, fiction, non-fiction and poetry and my work has appeared at 'The New York Times, ' 'Village Voice, ' 'Redbook Magazine, ' 'Georgia Review, ' 'City Lights Review, ' 'Counterpunch.org' and hundreds of periodicals and websites around the world. I hold a B.A. from the University of Florida, an M.A.T. from Harvard and a Ph.D. from Florida State University. I have taught in US public schools and prisons and in US and Japanese universities. My work has been anthologized.)

The Best Poem Of Gary Corseri

Slaughter

Who are these fools who talk so glibly
about war, and sending messages, our role
in the world, credibility? Who elected them,
who signs their checks, what games do they play
to climb the Ladder of Excess? Around
a table, they prop themselves, and then invade
living rooms, kitchens, airport lounges—any
place the gullible can hear or see them.

And this is the age of 24-7, and their bad ideas
bathe the networks of our neurons, and
their words drone in our restless sleep: war,
And honor; upholding values; respon-
sibility; ability to lead; and, of course,
the next election—who's up, who's down,
who's going to win; and why it matters.

And all of it mixed in the Great Mixer
that they'll sell you for 3 easy payments,
plus shipping and handling.

Call now!

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