poemranker ::Recent History by Nicholas Jones

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Free verse № 15231

Recent History

by Nicholas Jones

Member since 2002 · Posted 16 Sep 2002 · 22 comments

Now it is approaching a year Since ground zero was created and what has changed? Nothing like as much as we first thought, September 12th, we thought that was it, there would be more attacks, America would bomb the shit out of various countries, Osama would blow the shit out of America and there would be the biggest war since Vietnam. Half of me wanted that to happen, because it would destabilise the US, damage capitalism And lead to a potentially revolutionary situation. I read in the paper Some French communists Argued that a vote for Le Pen in the runoffs Would destabilise the republic And so bring socialism closer. I can imagine nothing worse Than being faced with a tory and a fascist And having to vote for one. But in America, that is the choice on offer In ever single election they have.

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mean 3.84 weighted 3.84 rank 13450 views 208 View voting details →

32 votes so far. Yours would make 33.32 votes so far

22 comments

[2] ==Doylum 16-Sep-02/8:40 AM Reply
oh and by the what an great poem. kphumpt
[7] dougsoderstrom 16-Sep-02/10:22 AM Reply
Dear Nicholas Jones:

I really like your piece! I think that you very well summed up some of my own thoughts. Keep up the good work!

Doug
[0] deleted user › dougsoderstrom 16-Sep-02/10:37 AM Reply
oh, doug, you scoundral! you rapscallion! will you never learn to keep your arrows in the quiver!
[1] Tintagiles 19-Sep-02/6:41 PM Reply
This is not poetry. It is perhaps an interesting essay, though it could use some tweaking, but it is not poetry. It is an essay with arbitrary line breaks.
[n/a] Nicholas Jones › Tintagiles 20-Sep-02/4:21 AM Reply
Maybe it isn't poetry, but then I don't liking making judgements about what poetry is and what it should deal with. Poetry can do anything. Even rhythm isn't always required. Anything can be fashioned into poetry, and the point is to use discourses that are all around us and turn them into art - just as some people utilise working class language or slang, I'm trying to use the language of the media, the dominant discourse in modern western life, and make something out of it. Perhaps it doesn't work, but I think it is an idea worth pursuing.
[6] Christof › Nicholas Jones 20-Sep-02/4:30 AM Reply
You're right that it's worth pursuing, it is an interesting project. But I do believe that poetry should always remember that it comes, at source, from an oral tradition, the rhythmic use of language to plant concepts and images into a culture, and that poetry that makes no concession to the ear is going to be hard going. There doesn't have to be a strict metre, but a speech rhythm helps and this poem has the rhythm of a cut-up essay - it doesn't help to bring the reader into your ideas but acts as an obstacle. I wouldn't read a politics essay for pleasure, but I would read a good political poem for pleasure. But there's no reason why your idea shouldn't work with further refinement. Your 'Glamorgan' poem shows that you have very strong speech rhythms in you.
[n/a] Mutant_X › Tintagiles 29-Sep-02/5:28 AM Reply
yeah,it's a good piece although it aint poetry
[n/a] Nicholas Jones › Mutant_X 3-Oct-02/7:22 AM Reply
by the way, can everybody out there give this poem zero so it can officially become the worst poem on poemranker? I would be very happen to achieve these remarkable feat. I thank you all.
[1] poetandknowit › Nicholas Jones 3-Oct-02/7:51 AM Reply
Why, just because it is not a good poem, it is not the worst poem. Must we cater to your sociological experiment?
[n/a] Nicholas Jones › poetandknowit 4-Oct-02/6:39 AM Reply
Its just a whim. It would amuse me to have officially written the worst poem. The joke would be that yesterday I read something which was just the single word 'fuck'. At least, I, you know, thought about it.
[10] horus8 › Nicholas Jones 9-Oct-02/7:38 PM Reply
for what a day a year a minute...regardless. this piece lacks energy, intelligence and the wisdom of somebody who at least has a clue as to what they're talking about. if this was a political science essay you would fail miserably whether you were in a capatilist country and or a socialist country. too bad. i had such high hopes for you too.
[10] horus8 › horus8 9-Oct-02/7:41 PM Reply
also. the thought of you achieving your phd in any subject let alone medicine...is highly disturbing to me. perhaps you juggle?
[6] Christof 20-Sep-02/1:43 AM Reply
I'm afraid I agree with Tintagiles. You also put a lot of thought into your poems and debate crucial issues, but sometimes you forget to put it into poetic form - there's no rhythm here, unlike your 'Glamorgan' poem.
[1] Tascobar 15-Nov-02/4:43 AM Reply
I detect a vile stench, and I suspect that the culprit is this poeme. 1.
[n/a] Nicholas Jones › Tascobar 15-Nov-02/4:46 AM Reply
It astonishes me how people can't cope with a bit of politics. You're a bit late to slag off this poem, really. It happened months ago. Read the comments above and weep with sorrow for the world today.
[10] deleted user 29-Nov-02/4:23 AM Reply
lol so true, but rember american lives are expendable in fact, the more dead americans the better
[n/a] razorgrin 29-Nov-02/6:58 AM Reply
redneck, you dumbass. I support mass death, but on a universal basis. Replace "american" with "nigger", "kike" or whatever group you deem fit. What do you have? KKK propaganda. Mein Kampf. I you support death, do it right, mein herr.
[4] Quarton 30-Nov-02/8:38 AM Reply
Not bad but reads more like an essay than a poem. Wish it was more, only a four
[n/a] <{Baba^Yaga}> 12-Dec-02/2:43 PM Reply
1 out of 3 americas still think that the earth was created 10,000 years ago, and we all descended from adam and eve..they can't conceive radiation dating, darwin, and or biological evolution sped up or tweaked by environmental pressures..
in the whitehouse it turns to 2 out of three...nothing will change until a dirty bomb is placed in the whitehouse laundry chute, with a nice blimp released mid west small pox epidemic....accompanied by an asteroid the size of rhodeisland hitting the pacific..than it's safe to say things will get better again..except ewer for spanish marine live.. that could take another hundred years.
[1] cobalt 1-Jan-03/11:11 PM Reply
you are so much better when you stay away from politics.
[n/a] Nicholas Jones › cobalt 3-Jan-03/2:29 PM Reply
Problem is, I like the politics. But then I'd read about politics for fun. I like nothing better than arguing about it in the pub. One day, I'll write a political poem that isn't too sloganeering.
[n/a] Tom Colebrooke › Nicholas Jones 8-Jan-03/3:23 AM Reply
What the hell are you talking about, sounds like you have no life to me!!!