[ California poet Lee Rossi knows what’s wrong with
America—but who will listen? ]
[[link removed]]

PORTSIDE CULTURE

NOT BRAVE, NOT FREE  
[[link removed]]


 

Lee Rossi
October 4, 2022
Cultural Daily [[link removed]]

*
[[link removed]]
*
[[link removed]]
*
*
[[link removed]]

_ California poet Lee Rossi knows what’s wrong with America—but
who will listen? _

,

 

Not Brave, Not Free

By Lee Rossi

                        _after Tony Hoagland_

All morning some virus has been conducting

military exercises in my throat—

napalm, aerial bombardment, artillery.

Bombing the dam was the last straw.

“You sound sick,” my wife says

solicitously. “No I don’t,” I insist,

struck by the uncharacteristic rumble

of my vocal chords, the basso profundo

echoing in my ear bones. “I sound sexy.”

I wonder if my penchant for lying

to myself is a personal peccadillo,

or something hard-wired into all of us.

_I know that, I know that_, says the kid

in the back row, face red as a stop sign,

hand waving, high in the air.

I ignore him. After all, I’m the teacher

in this little classroom, and even though I too

know the answer, I need to pretend I don’t.

Like those balloon faces floating on my TV,

asking if, after the latest shooting, the President

will finally bring the nation together.

They know the answer, but their investment

in our collective stupidity is building interest

in Switzerland and the Cayman Islands.

Meanwhile California redwoods,

the few survivors, are in emergency conclave.

“Where’s the fog?” they want to know. I know,

but have no way of telling them.

Lee Rossi is a winner of the Jack Grapes Poetry Prize and the Steve
Kowit Prize. His latest book is _Darwin’s Garden, _from Moon Tide
Press.  Individual poems have appeared in _The Southwest
Review,_ _Rattle, Spillway, The Chiron Review, The Southern
Review _ and many other venues. _ _He is a member of the National
Book Critics Circle and a Contributing Editor to _Poetry Flash_. A
new book _Say Anything_ will appear later this year.

*
[[link removed]]
*
[[link removed]]
*
*
[[link removed]]

 

 

 

INTERPRET THE WORLD AND CHANGE IT

 

 

Submit via web
[[link removed]]

Submit via email
Frequently asked questions
[[link removed]]

Manage subscription
[[link removed]]

Visit portside.org
[[link removed]]

Twitter [[link removed]]

Facebook [[link removed]]

 



########################################################################

[link removed]

To unsubscribe from the xxxxxx list, click the following link:
[link removed]