You Will Not Break Me (9/12/01)
 

 

You will not break my spirit burning bright,
turn my day to terror'd night
you will not break my cities tall and proud,
make my family run underground

you will not break me

 

you will not rob my leaders of their will,
clergy of their faith,
you will not peel stripes from my face
poke holes through my stars

you will not get away with this!

 

you will not make my red, white and blue
turn to painful black and blue,
you will not break my children's acrid innocence,
my freedom to endure,

you will not take my mother and hold her hostage,
break my back first man, 'cause I'll seek justice

I'm an American!

My colors do not run,
I'm black, white, brown, yellow and tan

I'm an American!

You broke into my family's home
killed my brothers and sisters
and now you will be sorry,
because I'm an American!
and
you will not break me,
you will not break me,
you will not break the hope in my child's eyes
peace will prevail to your surprise,
love is strength in numbers,
your will is bound by hatred

 

America slumbers no more,
the giant has awaken and
years of complacent, fat-cat politics
is now down to balls out heretics
I got balls!
I got balls!
I got balls swinging from the hips of
Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull
ready to bounce you out of your holes!

 

I got soul,
I got soul,
I got soul like no others got soul,
got soul like Tina Turner, James Brown,
Ella Fitzgerald, the Harlem Globetrotters
and the New York City Fire Department

 

I'm an American!

 

you want bombs? I got bombs!
I got US Grant, Colin Powell, George Patton
Phil Simms and Joe Namath on my side,

 

I'm an American!

 

I got heart,
I got heart like no others got heart
I got heart like the Tin Man found
I got heart like Tony Bennett, George Foreman,
Marlon Brando, Jesse Owens,  BB King, John Belushi
Johnny Franco and the New York Mets!
I'm an American!
I'm an American!
and
you will not break me!
you will not break me!
you will not break me!

 

 

copyright 2001, Frank Messina

I Want to Hear Poetry

 

 

I want to hear poetry

heave from dry mouths

of pedestrians on Broadway,

Meter maids recite Whitman

I want to hear poetry

 

When I’m driving in my car

I want street signs to read:

“two roads diverged in a wood”,

I’ll choose the way from there,

I want to hear poetry

 

Officer, officer

when you stopped me last night

why did you ask for my license, registration

and insurance card?

why not recite verse two of

Bob Dylan’s, “Police Dog Blues”

it’ll do for you Mr. Officer

because, I want to hear poetry

 

When I’m on a date

don’t patronize me

with your mascara and good looks,

just quote a line from Frank O’Hara

or Gwendolyn Brooks

I want to hear poetry

 

When we’re at the restaurant

don’t push today’s special on me

just serve up an entree`

of romantic realist cuisine:

a platter of Wordsworth and Coleridge,

a side of Ferlinghetti, with beets

A dish of Dante, extra spicy!

A snifter of Sonia Sanchez

A tumbler of Yusef Komunyakaa

A shot of Jack

Kerouac

and do me a favor,

put that Allen Ginsberg in a doggy bag

I want to hear poetry

 

When I’m watching TV

don’t assume political correctness, Connie Chung

just slide some Basho

off your wriggly tongue

I want to hear poetry

 

When the commercials come on

don’t tell me it’s better in the Bahamas

Yes, I know it’s been a long winter

and I could use a tan.

Just give me my pajamas

and some Kahlil Gibran

I want to hear poetry

 

copyright 1998, 2002, Frank Messina

kinda like when you are walking along a iced over river bank, mist and fog rolling low on the water.. and in the distance you see the faint figures of two deer. (probably a couple). you slow your walk in time to catch a closer look.. then you suddenly stand on a twig.. it breaks, and the sound is magnified into a loud echo that startles your two river companions.. as the two are leaping away so gracefully... the one.. (probably the doe)stops in her tracks and gives you a stare that lets you know that even though you are two different species of living creatures on earth... that she senses the woman in you and your words touch her in her heart that only another woman can feel.
this is where "Snow day" is sitting with me ..
outstanding work....and I'm glad to know you..