drift of signifieds

 

the absence of the mount's a giveaway
pegasus not just in pound but shot dead
and foolish notions now given their head
we find ourselves in a most dreary play
not knowing what to do or what to say
the dialogue has all the charm of lead
still we are silent and far too well-bred
even to think that this is no good day
words given voice by fools bounce on the wall
and have their echo in the ears of clowns
this is the force that breeds death in each street
such energy that when we hear the call
we are astonished that the very towns
turn into places where they store the meat

the other (gitmo answers retamar)

 A sonnet for blog against torture day. Inspired by Roberto Fernández Retamar's 'El Otro (1 de enero 1959).

i ask the question who has died for me?
on whose dead bones do my living ones stand?
whose fingers now inhabit my live hand?
and do i really want to look and see?
we call ourselves the happy ones and free
our enemies are but a savage band
we need to keep them from our noble land
while guarding silence on each abductee
let every answer make the matter clear
those folk are not part of some complex game
and we are not the innocents we seem
our lies have clouded what was once clean air
and put our enemies themselves to shame
but we treat the whole thing as just a dream

freedom's gamble

when liberty was counted as true sin
our lives were valued down to the last cent
and every coin was tossed for loss or win

we knew that nothing good could yet begin
if every pin and nail had to be bent
when liberty was counted as true sin

a rule or measure no one there would spin
some sort of honesty might have been lent
and every coin was tossed for loss or win

divine displeasure hidden by a grin
we knew the signal that was truly meant
when liberty was counted as true sin

and still we throw a dollar in the bin
and hold the money had been truly spent
and every coin was tossed for loss or win

there is no reason now to feel chagrin
not one of us from off the scene was sent
when liberty was counted as true sin
and every coin was tossed for loss or win