poem

March On

/ Sasha A. Palmer / Leave a comment

 

March for Life

They sing when all the earth is still,
They sing at break of day,
Although they know only too well —
Song makes them easy prey.
Like birds in song may I be strong,
Brave in the face of hate,
Lest creepy shadows steer me wrong,
Lest I put out the light.

 

“I am dedicated to spending the rest of my life undoing the law that bears my name. You read about me in history books, but now I am dedicated to spreading the truth about preserving the dignity of all human life from natural conception to natural death.” — Norma McCorvey, the former Jane Roe of the Roe vs. Wade

“Promote the value of all life, regardless of stage of development, race, age, gender, or ability.” — Abby Johnson, Planned Parenthood executive-turned-pro-life advocate

 

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Пусть всё сбудется!

/ Sasha A. Palmer / Leave a comment

С Рождеством, с наступившим Новым и наступающим Старым Новым вас!

Снега нет, а в Москве – хлопьями,
Посмотрю-ка снова «Иронию»,
Подышу-ка стихами-песнями,
Той зимой, что с малых лет помню я.

В сотый раз проживу заново,
Прочитаю снова по-новому
Притчу сказочника Рязанова
Про «Иванушку» бестолкового.

Новый год, а любовь старая,
Не ржавеет пусть, не забудется,
Пожелаю вам С лёгким паром! я,
Пусть всё сбудется, пусть всё сбудется.

 

21 января 2013 г.

Happy December

/ Sasha A. Palmer / Leave a comment

Nino, Christmas eve_o

They’re few,
so hold them close —
the final hours
still clinging to the calendar, for ours
are those short-lived bright moments
that we touch
without a hope of keeping them.
They fleet,
and yet remain,
and reappear with such
stark clarity —
it sweeps us off our feet,
when in the midst
of winter’s endless plain
we glimpse our summer,
children once again.

 

© 2013 Sasha A. Palmer

Image: © 2016 Nino Chakvetadze, reproduced with permission.

Happy Thanksgiving!

/ Sasha A. Palmer / Leave a comment

painting-563463_640

The leaves are falling off the trees…
Here goes Another one!
Folks bundle up so they won’t freeze…
Oh, No! The summer’s gone.
Where does the summer spend the fall?
Where does it go, you Know?
I miss it So, the heat and all…
But wait! How ‘bout the snow?
I love that stuff! It makes me Grin
when I look up and let
the fluffy flakes fall on my chin
and tongue…no, not just yet —
I’ll Visit, where’s that place you say
where now the summer stays?
But I can’t go till in the snow
I’ve played for days and days…
No, I can’t Go till in the snow
I’ve played for days and days!

 

© 2018 Sasha A. Palmer

Image: Nancy McRae from Pixabay

Behind the Closed Doors

/ Sasha A. Palmer / Leave a comment

kid-2529907_640

Planned Parenthood

Maybe her parents seek her
Maybe they sold her
To the pimp who’s peddling her now —
No questions asked
In the soundproof office
“No judgement, no sharing of information”
“For someone who is a minor
That’s a really good option”
“Minors are always accepted
Without parental consent”

 

An excerpt from CITIZEN’S GUIDE TO U.S. FEDERAL LAW ON THE PROSTITUTION OF CHILDREN: Section 1591 applies equally to American children (U.S. citizens or residents) who are prostituted within the United States, as well as foreign nationals (persons not a U.S. citizen or resident) who are brought into the United States and are then caused to engage in prostitution. The law also criminalizes any person who conspires or attempts to commit this crime.

If the victim was under the age of 14 or if force, fraud, or coercion were used, the penalty is not less than 15 years in prison up to life. If the victim was aged 14-17, the penalty shall not be less than 10 years in prison up to life. Anyone who obstructs or attempts to obstruct the enforcement of this statute faces as many as 20 years imprisonment. Defendants who are convicted under this statute are also required to pay restitution to their victims for any losses they caused.

 

Image: Image by Aamir Mohd Khan from Pixabay

Happy November

/ Sasha A. Palmer / 1 Comment

Old man and boy, autumn, Nino's art

Keep this November
with its farewell cry
of wild geese flocks
against the ashen sky,
with rusty gold
beneath the shaking trees,
the smoky air
the rain —
pick all of these
small tales of autumn
that will soon depart,
press them between
the pages of your heart.

For this day too
will join the leaving skein
of days that were,
will never be again.

 

© 2013 Sasha A. Palmer

Image: © 2017 Nino Chakvetadze, reproduced with permission.

All Hallows’ Eve (seadna poem)

/ Sasha A. Palmer / Leave a comment

jack-o-lanterns-3735386_640

All Hallows’ Eve

Dark shadows creep from far away
Beware of the falling night
Put on your armor, child, prepare
To fight, persevere in plight

 

This short poem is my attempt at seadna. It seemed fitting to try an Irish poetic form on Halloween that has its roots in Celtic culture.

Happy Halloween!

Here are the (somewhat complicated) guidelines for writing a seadna:

  • Quatrain (or four-line) stanzas
  • Eight syllables in lines one and three; seven syllables in lines two and four
  • Lines one and three end with a 2-syllable word; lines two and four end with a one-syllable word
  • Lines two and four end rhyme with each other
  • The final word of the first line alliterates with the first stressed word of the second line
  • The third line rhymes with the stressed word preceding the last word of the stanza…
  • …and all three of those words alliterate with each other

Give it a go.

Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay