Swans Commentary » swans.com July 4, 2005  

 

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by Gerard Donnelly Smith

 

Poetry

 

 

 

Before

Upon the tree imperfect peaches, fruit with maggots,
fruit with flies hovering, hovering, hovering
over the sweet juice, over the juicy corruption
like politicians tied with purse strings.

Upon the ground perfect bullshit, shit with flies,
shit with maggots burrowing, burrowing, burrowing
into life's sweet awakening, into corruption's root
like strange bedfellows across the hall.

After

From the tree perfect peaches, unimpeachable
fruit without blemish gathering, gathering, gathering
into the hands of the unsuspecting peasants
like children playing in the mine fields.

Over the ground seedless shells, shells with death,
death without disguise scattering, scattering, scattering
across the land, over the unwilling, resistant earth
like peaches that fall from poisoned trees.

Internal Resources

Poetry on Swans

 

About the Author

Gerard Donnelly Smith on Swans (with bio).

 

Legalese

Please, feel free to insert a link to this work on your Web site or to disseminate its URL on your favorite lists, quoting the first paragraph or providing a summary. However, please DO NOT steal, scavenge, or repost this work on the Web or any electronic media. Inlining, mirroring, and framing are expressly prohibited. Pulp re-publishing is welcome -- please contact the publisher. This material is copyrighted, © Gerard Donnelly Smith 2005. All rights reserved.

 

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