酷我-北美枫

[Champagne]

Sevenling Sequence -- The Post-911 America: Seven Years Since


September 11, 2008 marked the seventh anniversary of 9/11. There were numerous memorial events in the New York City area, across the U.S.A., and even around the world to honour and remember the victims of September 11th and to come together as a supporting community of mankind.

In my view, one good thing coming out of 9/11 is that, generally speaking, Americans have been more willing to deal with their past(s) in all kinds of ways. Their responses to this national tragedy stimulated me to write a group of poems entitled The Post-911 America: Seven Years Since, a poem sequence which is based on my understanding of the American socio-religio-political contexts situated in the globalized war on terror, and which is written in the form of the sevenling. This sevenling sequence is written from differing points of view and perspectives from the Americans represented in the US media.


Preface by Christine


Give me your tired
your poor
your huddled masses

yearning to breathe freely
to live happily
to worship fearlessly

This is The Much Too Promised Land


Prologue by浴恩福


911
tears
no poetry

Seven years since
the dust has settled
the dead buried

This is our America(s)


I


I love three things alone:
doing my work, cutting my grass,
and renting DVDs at Blockbuster.

I despise all the PC talking heads,
And the two Americas rhetoric.
Get to work! Get a life!

I'm a proud American!


II


I only like three things:
drinking Bud, talking with Fox's Bill O’Reilly,
and dirt-track racing.

I detest Sam Walton but shop at his stores,
hate illegal aliens and yet forced to work with them.
Go back to where you came from! This is my country!

I’m a real American!


III:


I promise before God:
to reading the bible, to attend Sunday services,
and to pray at least three times a day.

I despise Godless atheists
And hedonistic pagans.
In god we trust! God Bless America!

I am a God-fearing American.


IV by ericcoliu

Unattended lawn.
A sullen man standing behind a makeshift counter.
Kids chasing after each other.

Brand new flat TVs, Nintendo video games, and Dell computers ...
Piles of rain-soaked This Old House magazines.
An exhausted woman amidst the haggling crowd.

In certain rituals we desire only what we cannot have.


Note:

This Old House, the companion magazine to a PBS home improvement and remodelling television show of the same title, “focuses on appreciation of craftsmanship and fine design, with the idea that the best value is derived from informed planning and the usage of premium materials and workmanship. Detailed information and photography provide an understanding of the equipment, materials and techniques needed to renovate a home, as well as how to communicate more effectively with architects, contractors, craftsmen, and designers.”
_________________
I'm Champagne,
Bottled poetry with sparkling joy.

[[Champagne]]

Sevenling Sequence -- The Post-911 America: Seven Years Since


September 11, 2008 marked the seventh anniversary of 9/11. There were numerous memorial events in the New York City area, across the U.S.A., and even around the world to honour and remember the victims of September 11th and to come together as a supporting community of mankind.

In my view, one good thing coming out of 9/11 is that, generally speaking, Americans have been more willing to deal with their past(s) in all kinds of ways. Their responses to this national tragedy stimulated me to write a group of poems entitled The Post-911 America: Seven Years Since, a poem sequence which is based on my understanding of the American socio-religio-political contexts situated in the globalized war on terror, and which is written in the form of the sevenling. This sevenling sequence is written from differing points of view and perspectives from the Americans represented in the US media.


Preface by Christine


Give me your tired
your poor
your huddled masses

yearning to breathe freely
to live happily
to worship fearlessly

This is The Much Too Promised Land


Prologue by浴恩福


911
tears
no poetry

Seven years since
the dust has settled
the dead buried

This is our America(s)


I


I love three things alone:
doing my work, cutting my grass,
and renting DVDs at Blockbuster.

I despise all the PC talking heads,
And the two Americas rhetoric.
Get to work! Get a life!

I'm a proud American!


II


I only like three things:
drinking Bud, talking with Fox's Bill O’Reilly,
and dirt-track racing.

I detest Sam Walton but shop at his stores,
hate illegal aliens and yet forced to work with them.
Go back to where you came from! This is my country!

I’m a real American!


III:


I promise before God:
to reading the bible, to attend Sunday services,
and to pray at least three times a day.

I despise Godless atheists
And hedonistic pagans.
In god we trust! God Bless America!

I am a God-fearing American.


IV by ericcoliu

Unattended lawn.
A sullen man standing behind a makeshift counter.
Kids chasing after each other.

Brand new flat TVs, Nintendo video games, and Dell computers ...
Piles of rain-soaked This Old House magazines.
An exhausted woman amidst the haggling crowd.

In certain rituals we desire only what we cannot have.


Note:

This Old House, the companion magazine to a PBS home improvement and remodelling television show of the same title, “focuses on appreciation of craftsmanship and fine design, with the idea that the best value is derived from informed planning and the usage of premium materials and workmanship. Detailed information and photography provide an understanding of the equipment, materials and techniques needed to renovate a home, as well as how to communicate more effectively with architects, contractors, craftsmen, and designers.”
_________________
I'm Champagne,
Bottled poetry with sparkling joy.

[温暖的水獸]

A timely, politically-charged poem.

[[温暖的水獸]]

A timely, politically-charged poem.

[Lake]

Sounds like a cool poetry form worth of trying.

Is this after Anna Akhmatova's Sevenling?

I read the contrasting three elements in the two stanzas; and I always find the last line is hard to work out, just like the third line in Haiku.

Not so sure of "two Americas rhetoric. ".
Americas?
If "Get to work! Have a life! " are the two Americas rhetoric(s), would a colon or a dash work better than a period after rhetoric?

Thanks for introducing a new form. I would like to have a try.

[[Lake]]

Sounds like a cool poetry form worth of trying.

Is this after Anna Akhmatova's Sevenling?

I read the contrasting three elements in the two stanzas; and I always find the last line is hard to work out, just like the third line in Haiku.

Not so sure of "two Americas rhetoric. ".
Americas?
If "Get to work! Have a life! " are the two Americas rhetoric(s), would a colon or a dash work better than a period after rhetoric?

Thanks for introducing a new form. I would like to have a try.

[Champagne]

[[Champagne]]

[Champagne]

[[Champagne]]

[Champagne]

[[Champagne]]

[Lake]

Thanks for the explanation.

[[Lake]]

Thanks for the explanation.

[Champagne]

I've added another sevenling written from the perspective of a working-class American.
_________________
I'm Champagne,
Bottled poetry with sparkling joy.

[[Champagne]]

I've added another sevenling written from the perspective of a working-class American.
_________________
I'm Champagne,
Bottled poetry with sparkling joy.

[dundas]

It seems to me that the sixth lines of POV I, II are narrative summaries while the last lines are like punchlines because both speakers are unaware of their broader socio-political contexts.
_________________
My throat knew thirst before the structure
Of skin and vein around the well

[[dundas]]

It seems to me that the sixth lines of POV I, II are narrative summaries while the last lines are like punchlines because both speakers are unaware of their broader socio-political contexts.
_________________
My throat knew thirst before the structure
Of skin and vein around the well

[Champagne]

[[Champagne]]

[Lake]

Champagne,

I can't really put my fingers on the technicality of this poem. As I feel I'm invited to throw my two cents here, I'll give it a try.

It's definitely written from two different point of views, but probably that of white Americans. It may not be right but that's how I feel about it.

[[Lake]]

Champagne,

I can't really put my fingers on the technicality of this poem. As I feel I'm invited to throw my two cents here, I'll give it a try.

It's definitely written from two different point of views, but probably that of white Americans. It may not be right but that's how I feel about it.

[Champagne]

[[Champagne]]

[Lake]

[[Lake]]

[Champagne]

[[Champagne]]

[浴恩福]

[[浴恩福]]