[R-G] Poets against the war

[DavidMcR at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/31/03 1:58:52 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
lastmarx1 at worldnet.att.net writes:

<< 
 Subject: Poets against the war
 
 
 > As reported in today's N.Y. Times, Mrs Bush called off a White House
 poetry
 > celebration scheduled for Feb 12, in the face of massive opposition to the
 > war on the part of poets throughout the country.  Here is their website,
 > followed by one poem carried on it.  The coordinator of the website, poet
 Sam
 > Hamill, invites additional submissions, toward a national day of poetry
 > against the war on that same date of Feb 12. --V.W.
 >
 > www.poetsagainstthewar.org/
 >
 >
 > REFUSING
 >
 > Refusing the invitation
 > I was not given,
 > being given instead
 > the invitation to refuse.
 > Which I accept.
 > Am grateful for.
 > The chance to be part of
 > the poet's chorus,
 > the caucus of those
 > whose politics
 > is obvious and earnest.
 > Whose wishes are simple:
 > sensible diplomacy,
 > everything to be negotiated.
 > Tough bargaining,
 > but easy on the violence.
 > That's what we poets
 > learned from poems:
 > it's all on the table,
 > but it's stupid
 > to break up the table
 > with an axe,
 > to splinter the chairs.
 >
 > And it's madness
 > to ask poets to celebrate,
 > when people can't even
 > breathe deeply
 > for fear of war's imminence.
 >
 > -- Gregory Orr
 >
 > >>