Poem Of The Decade Contest

Helen Graziano

2010-01-04T14:46:00.000-08:00

WORKING 9 to 5

Elliot Spitzer removed for cheating and being a hypocrite:
stand by your man she said.
Tiger Woods trespasses, infidel, women dropped out of trees whenever he took a swing.
Mark Hanford saying he was hiking in the Adirondacks while carousing in Caribbean.
Sotomayor confirmed, 1st Hispanic woman to the court. Ruth Bader Ginsberg gets sick.
Chicanos are largest growing minority in the country.
Sarah Palin’s daughter has a baby out of wedlock, nobody knew. A reality couple crashes a White House party.
Roman Polanski shuttled around in Switzerland under house arrest. Lesbian becomes a prelate in the Anglican church.
Mackenzie Phillips reveals sex with father. Oprah rules the waves. SEX SELLS.

Khadija Anderson

2010-01-03T21:31:00.000-08:00

SAMURAI

From Japan, my son texts:

Hey mom, I heard the Clash playing in a Starbucks this morning
and I thought of you. I bought a Bush is not my president
t-shirt yesterday and I visited Hiroshima
and cried for three hours. I'll be home soon.

I asked him had he heard of Mishima the poet
who committed seppuku when his country demonized him
for training young men to be Samurai
long after WWII.

Mishima and I have some things in common.

Ron Vazzano

2009-12-19T19:58:00.001-08:00

IN THE DECADE OF AN EYE

In the beginning, there was the Y2K prophesy
that could hurtle us back to oil lamps and McKinley.
But this just in--"Hanging Chads have been sighted!"

On a dark note Pearl Harbor is now known as 9/11.
"Google" the war that came after. For even our daughter
who lived on line had told us--"guys buy Google stock."

Blink, and she has become an adult and Google, an icon.
Blink and miss, Janet Jackson's breast popping out--
some time after gay marriage, but before Barack was in.

Though we did find water on the moon.

Sample poem by moi

2009-12-15T17:34:00.000-08:00

DECADE-DENTS

George W. Bush steals the presidency in 2000, my landlord doubles the cost of using the washers and dryers

Saudi Arabians crash planes into buildings on 9/11/2001, my rent goes up $100

The U.S. invades Afghanistan in 2002, my rent goes up another $100

The U.S. invades Iraq in 2003 to "look for WOMD's", my rent goes up still another $100

"W" sneaks his way into a second term in 2004, my rent goes up $100 more

Hurricane Katrina floods New Orleans in 2005, my rent increases $100 one last time

Democrats gain control of Congress in 2006, my rent doesn't change

The mortgage crisis hits in 2007, my rent remains unchanged

Obama elected President in 2008, my rent doesn't go down

Deep into the 2009 recession, I join Facebook and start holding poetry contests