DDCPoetry

Original poem reprinted online here: "A Song" by Ghassan Zaqtan Originally read: February 18, 2013 More information about the Poet: Ghassan Zaqtan  So I keep thinking in my head war poems are really hard to do. I once was asked, "do you know any Vietnam War Poems."  No, not really.  Yes there's been poems about World War I and II.  But nothing too recent, and I wonder why.  It's not like poets have stopped writing about wars -- all topics are on the table. Yet this poem doesn't address the casualties of war.  What this poem does is take away that emotional sentimentality line that (the emotional suffering of war) -- yes, I think by now that most people will agree that emotionally speaking -- war is bad, and instead shows the aftermath of war in a non-Hollywood fashion. Note -- I'm referring to the concept of war being written in poetry rather than the individual stories  like "The Death of the Turret Ball Gunner" by Randell Jarell  where th...

Original poem reprinted online here: "The Evil Key" by Sinéad Morrissey Originally read: February 4, 2013 More information about the Poet: Sinéad Morrissey "First reaction:  I have no idea what's going on in this poem, but I like it.  The tone of anger and cynacism is really good."  Okay, so looking at this poem again I can't help but think this poem goes a little over the top, starting with the title -- "The Evil Key."  I don't write this down in my first read (or subsequent others), but the title reminds me of a Noir title.  Anyway, I came away from today's read thinking, "I should take this poem seriously."  Even though there are elements in here that make me think this poem is a riff on back-cover pulps.  I'll get to those points. The poem opens up with a list that serves as a visual panning device for atmosphere, "In woods and lakes, car boots, freezers, huts, / in ministers' apartments."  Then there's t...