I shook your hand
I took the loss
Escape was impossible
I took the loss
...
The hand of friendship was offered
The hand of friendship was slapped away
The trajectory of the spurned
...
We are the goldfish in the bowl
We are known as Mr. and Mrs. Goldfish
I don't mind this transparency, a benign surveillance
...
Have you ever heard Saturday morning radio?
Is the radio programming different on Saturday morning compared to weekdays?
She dreads small talk and making his lunch
...
My father in law
Barely missed the last just war
But saw the severed heads of prisoners of war
The Japanese displayed them
...
If obnoxiousness is art consider this your exhibition gallery
Different stages of difficult behavior hang on the walls
"Don't touch" but some illiterate fool usually ends up doing just that
...
She is the queen of the replacements
Her people await further orders in a large open-air building
A former factory - old and gray and damp, it looks like the 1950's
...
Love sighted through an opening in deep forest
A blur that moves quickly and vanishes
But leaves a lasting impression
...
1
These are excerpts from the memoir of the occupation
We remember how government occupied us rather than the other way round
...
3
A syllogism has two premises (one major and one minor) and a conclusion
...
4
Now they'll rehash history without any sense of history
Without any real knowledge about what occurred before and what America had to do with that
...
5
Shock and awe
The latter word means a feeling of respect, dread, and wonder
...
6
They sacked the Baghdad museum
No one cares about rare antiquities
...
7
Someone break the news to the government spokesman
He said that Iraqi forces were on the verge of a great victory as the Americans took over the airport
...
8
Do you support our troops?
That's a statement that attempts to straightjacket the dialogue
...
9
Kareem will smile for the journalists
Per request from his hospital bed
...
10
Pulling down the dictator's statue
Puffing up the chest of those who see the symbolism of this
...
12
Stagemanage a heroine
Block the rescue scene, make sure everyone has the correct expression on their face
...
13
Who left the cages open at the Baghdad Zoo?
The birds and game animals taken for food by the desperate populace
...
Hello there, My name is Raj Dronamraju. I have previously published three volumes of poetry - THE RETURN OF THE MAGNIFICENT NINNY, SOLIDARITY WITH THE FLESH EATING MOSAIC, and TRAVELS WITH THE ANTI-JOHNNY APPLESEED on Post-Egoism press (not self published) . My publisher's page for me is here http: //rajbooks.postegoism.net I am also the author of several novels. In addition, I am the editor of a poetry and art magazine 21st Century Flow - Links can be found on my poetry blog www.rajdronamraju.wordpress.com. I am an American living abroad in Malaysia. I am married to a Malaysian woman and teach English to make a living.)
I Don't Even Smile
I shook your hand
I took the loss
Escape was impossible
I took the loss
I went indoors, contorted into an ugly shape by desire
I came back out beaming phoniness
I couldn't find shelter indoors
There's a day coming where this will not end so easily
When it will be taken hard like a blood vendetta
And passed on to future generations
And that's when a smile loses all meaning
Is merely the go to expression of a demolished psyche
Is flashed with the frequency of a bellboy summoned for the carrying of guests' bags
At that time, I don't even smile
And I'll say people are a black hole
And I get sucked in and then get spit out in a place I don't recognize
Not worried about being lost
Not worried about being alone
I don't even smile
For you, endurance finally breaks
Washes over us with violence
I will snap, I can't shake this off anymore
I find Raj's poems extremely refined, amusing, entertaining, educational and admirable.