Poetry - Lynn White

  The Crossword Man We saw him often during our stay in Moscow. Every time we passed the opulent public building he’d be sitting there in his ‘Enquiries” cubicle intent on his crossword. We watched in awe   as the small queues formed, marvelled at the increasingly imaginative ways devised to attract his attention. All failed. The women in high heels, the men in smart suits, the young people in jeans, the workers in uniform, there was no discrimination they were equal   in his resolution to ignore them. It was sometime later at the end of an era when I saw him again. He was sitting there at his desk   intent on his crossword and then came the breakthrough1 We watched in awe as he leapt up, rushed animatedly to the door shouting and gesticulating to the camera crew who had opened it. They were making their way inside as I watched on the television News. Now I know,   all that is needed is a camera! https://dashboardhorus.blogspot.com/2022/10/lynn-whites-crossword-...

  Clouded Vision I knew you were there, out here somewhere. I tried to find you but my vision clouded. With my head in the clouds I could only dream. Now I know I must let you go free. Free with the birds. https://feversofthemind.com/2022/09/30/poetry-inspired-by-art-from-rene-magritte-a-belgian-surrealist-painter/?fbclid=IwAR2jrAn474iownqjoZoLIX0wjJhQXLKdWHDVHmjiVmlfL44r18pi-K_UdZw

  God Given   If such a creature didn’t exist we’d have to invent it for sure. Whether Zeus or Allah, Jehovah or any of the rest, all fulfil the same   purpose. All create a framework   of behaviour, the laws of god which must be obeyed without argument, without thinking, without due process. All create a framework of rights. Some have them, others don’t. They’re god given so no argument, no thinking, needed. And all need a territory, a god given territory from the beginning of time and for evermore No argument, no thinking, god given. https://rabblereview.com/RR3

Work Ethic Unemployed,   if working age. Unused. No paid work, so, nothing earned. Meagre cash, only that doled by a reluctant state. No use.   No value. No respect where cash is king and work is queen, no job, no use, no point,   no purpose. No means   of change. https://rabblereview.com/RR3

  Our Street This was us our street before the bombs fell and turned it to rubble and ashes and turned us to dust and ashes. This is us our street where the lights shine brightly and the Liquor Store is open for party goers, where the buildings stand neatly in line, where tomorrows are as predictable as todays still. This is the US where the bombs don’t fall. https://rabblereview.com/RR3

  Did You See My Father? You can see how small I am, my mask is my protection my only protection   self protection. I’m not like you with your head to toe suiting, your visors, your helmets,   your shields and sticks. I have only my mask. But it keeps me safe   from contamination. And if I’m contaminated, it keeps others safe from me. That’s what my mother says. My father says the same but I don’t know where he is now. He went towards the square where you’ve come from where history repeats itself, that’s what he said. Did you see him there? He looks a lot like me, a mask is his protection his only protection self protection keeping him safe from contamination. Did you see him there and protect him He had only his mask for protection and it may not be enough   if the sticks start hitting and the bullets start flying   to stop the contamination to halt the spread, to give protection or self protection as history plays its old game. I’m not sure how to stay sa...

  A Disappointing Day If they hadn’t asked her to smell the nice scent. If she hadn’t remembered the scent from before. There would have been   no screams, no stamping   up and down on the trolley. The nurse would still   have her cap on and the doctor would have no fist or feet marks on his white coat, no red hand mark on his pale cheek. There would have been no shock, horror reports to those who had put away Red Riding Hood and were waiting anxiously for news of their little girl. But they did ask her. They did ask her. The scent wasn’t nice. She knew it. And there was no ice cream afterwards either. They’d lied about that as well. A disappointing day. https://www.pikerpress.com/article.php?aID=9467