No ratings.
my mid-April poems were written for the National Poetry Month challenge |
April 13 Incheon Beach Waltz Wave Poem beach near home now sunset The West Sea Incheon sea Spring Time night sunset over the sea Sun goes down nearby beach water waves come in over beach view is great nice April 14 California Burning Bright California burning bright wildfires end of the world an apocalyptic a vision of world’s end April 15, 2019 Prayers for the Future of the Planet A shaman priestess Is deep in thought Engaged in Meditation on the fate Of the earth She is deep in the cosmic woods In the world between worlds Where she is communing With the spirits of the universe Who listen to her tale of woe She tells them Of the rise of the neo fascists And the refusal to address The possible end of the world Due to run away climate change She prays and prays And finally She receives an answer More a prediction It is all up to humans She has two visions Of a possible future Two contrasting visions One a dystopian nightmare The other an optimistic vision The first The neo-fascists Seize control And usher in a dystopian nightmare That ends with utter destruction Nuclear war Nuclear winter Ends climate change As civilization ends And mankind retreat to caves And it happens In a blink of an eye In less than five years The world will end Game over civilization ends The second vision The optimistic vision Humanity wakes up From their collective nightmare Throws off the neo-fascist cabal And begin to change the world Making the economy works For all of us Not just the corrupt 1 percent The so-called masters of the Universe They are overthrown In a people’s power revolution All over the world People wake up Demand change And slowly the world Begins to recover And overcome The dark hours Of the present age The shaman priestess Returns home To spread the word It up to us To choose our fate The end is indeed near It is darker than you think But it is not over yet If we choose the path Of the cosmic light And overthrow The neo-fascist cabal And restore democracy And peace will break out And all will end well If not Well she says You have been warned The universe has spoken So, mote it be April 16, 2019 Why do all fake Natives call themselves “Cherokees”? Erasure Poem So many fake Indians these days Elizabeth Warren is one And according to my DNA results I am too But my grand-parents spoke Cherokee my mom claims And they disappeared into the hills She claims Is the DNA test wrong? Was I adopted ? Or is it possible That I am a real deal A real Cherokee Or am I fake Cherokee??? A Cherokee weighed in on this on Quora First, I would never call them “fake Natives”. They are 99% white, mostly Blue-collar, and New Age Hippie, Anglo-Americans who are simply lost without their own specific identity that they can proudly Claim, so, therefore, they search for a certain Popular, A romanticized segment of Indigenous People that will “fit” into their Family’s historical Lore. Second, it just happens to ALWAYS be … the Cherokee … sometimes, either Blackfoot or Lakota. AND, “My GGM was a Cherokee Princess”, as an add-on VALUE. This is primarily because of the vast area formerly inhabited by the Cherokee. However, the tribes’ interaction with European immigrants since colonial times, led to a great deal of intermarriage with non-indigenous populations. In many cases people have limited knowledge of the other Native American nations, that inhabited the areas in which they live. However, a lot of this is wishful thinking, and these people have African American or another non-European ancestry. It is fashionable to claim indigenous ancestry, in an attempt to legitimize t Their sense of belonging on our lands. The reason is simple, they don’t know the names of the other tribes. There has never been a song called “Indian Reservation” about Apache People or any other tribe but, the Cherokee. “Indian Reservation” by Paul Revere and the Raiders. So if those people aren’t Cherokee by blood at least it’s in spirit. And so I conclude I may be part Cherokee Part of the lost tribe Of the Cherokee But who really knows My mother took many things With her to the grave Lots of family secrets Things I will never know But in my heart I know That I am part Cherokee And so I will proudly The claim I am part Cherokee In spirt If not in the blood Source document: Source quora My great grandmother was a Native American, why doesn't it show on my results, not enough DNA samples from that tribe or is the extent of the genocide a possible reason? Sam Morningstar, Native American, Ground Combat Veteran (Iraq) Answered Apr 5 Statistically speaking, most Americans claiming their great-grandmother was Native American are just passing on family lore, and the ancestor in question wasn’t actually Native American at all, or the the lineage was much further back in their line (if it’s accurate at all). The second thing is that there is now this recent narrative that is going around the internet that says the sample set of Native Americans in the DNA testing databases is too small, and that is what is throwing off the results for Native American admixture in North America. That’s just more of the rationalization from people fall into the scenario I described in my opening paragraph. Meaning, these are White Americans with the bogus lore that are surprised when “their Native American ancestry” isn’t showing up in DNA tests that they are taking. So, since they already believe or “know” that this exists and great-granny was a Cherokee/Native American they look for alternative narratives that help to explain or rationalize the “false results.” It’s easier than delving into the actual genealogy and correcting the false lore they’ve inherited (and frequently internalized as their “heritage” or part of their identity). The third possibility which is statistically slim, would be that great-granny was Native but of mixed blood, and through random genetic inheritance variation, you just didn’t get enough genetic sequences that can be identified as Native American. Usually, the range where DNA from distant ancestors gets sort of lost is at the GGG grandparent level. But, I supposed it could happen at lower levels for a mixed blood great-grandparent. But, even then, a great-grandparent that was an actual Native American - whether full or mixed blood - would be found with genealogical records confirming their tribal affiliation. The family would be easily traced, and would tie back to a small and finite population. The Native population in 1900 was just around 250,000 people, representing 500+ tribal nations, living in distinct communities. Most weren’t even US citizens until 1924. And they were very well tracked in records from the 1800s through the 1900s (and into present time). It’s very easy to corroborate your “missing” Native American results by doing standard genealogy. Extremely easy There were no communities that hid out or remained in the Ozarks. There were Cherokees that removed west prior to Trail of Tears, moving first to southeast Missouri, then Arkansas. But, they were only in that location briefly. This Arkansas population then moved to Indian Territory when the Eastern contingent was removed in 1838-1839. A few stragglers perhaps lingered on into the early 1840s, before heading to Cherokee Nation west. No community persisted there (just a few individuals families, perhaps). The eastern Texas group wasn’t re-founded in Rusk County until the late 1840s and into the 1850s (prior to Civil War). They were mixed bloods, and were always a small community. They also weren’t hiding. The ones that stayed in the east also weren’t necessarily hiding. A few hundred took up allotments in 1817-19, around the Nantahala and Econluftee River valleys in western NC. They were joined by a few hundred more (that were hiding or escaping the Removal) in the late 1830s, for a total of about 900-1000 souls. The other group that stayed in the east were mixed bloods married to White spouses. They did not have to hide, as they were choosing to stay according to the terms of the Treaty of New Echota. All of these groups were found on the Siler and Chapman Rolls in the early 1850s. Then, there was the Hester Roll in 1884. They were not hiding or passing for white. Also, the intermarriage with Blacks was always historically low for the Cherokee. And it was even lower for the mixed blood Eastern Cherokees. It happened from time to time around Qualla Boundary. But, it wasn’t necessarily common (and it wasn’t escaped slaves). “…my grandparents spoke Cherokee, but none were considered Indian as they were never enrolled anywhere.” The only place where Cherokees continued speaking Cherokee after Removal in 1839 was within the Eastern Band Community. That’s it. Your grandparents most certainly did not speak Cherokee unless they were members of this band. There is effectively no exception this. This community was just around 3,000 by 1924-1928. And the full blood Cherokee speakers would be a smaller subset of this total number. We are talking well under a couple thousand, tops. And you would almost certainly be a member of Eastern Band today if this were true. My great grandmother was a Native American, why doesn't it show on my results, not enough DNA samples from that tribe or is the extent of the genocide a possible reason? I’d say there could be a number of reasons. How do you know your great grandmother was Native American? Which side of the family where these things on. If it is on your father’s side maybe your father really isn’t your biological father. Maybe there was an adoption, you, your relevant parent or your relevant grandparent was adopted. Maybe your sample was mixed up with someone else’s or maybe where you got your DNA sample done was not really reputable. Genocide isn’t going to be the issue with these tests missing something like that. There is also the chance that you don’t have any of your grandmother’s genes. Your relevant grandparent will have half of her genes. Your relevant parent you’d expect to have about 1/4 of your great grandmother’s genes but it could be that your relevant parent ended up not passing on any of your great grandmothers chromosomes or very unlikely, but still possible, doesn’t themselves have any of your grandmothers DNA. Many people do not understand the profound differences between genealogy and genetics. Genealogy is a cultural-defined theory about how people are descended from their ancestors. We imagine that we have one-half of our inheritance from our mothers and half from our fathers. In turn, we imagine we have one-fourth inheritance from each of our grand-parents, and in turn one-eighth from each great-grandparent, and so on. This is a useful model for thinking about the inheritance of property rights, or thinking about who is line next for the throne. Genetics is the study of the biological inheritan... Why do all fake Natives call themselves “Cherokees”? You must be reading Sam Morningstar…we have SO many jokes about the wannabe Cherokees. Cherokee is probably the best known among key indigenous peoples in the colonial US, the most accessible, one of the most successful and very much already organizing themselves like Europeans. The Trail of Tears gives a rather convenient contrived heritage, as well. It’s very probable that many, many people had a Cherokee ancestor, if they were born from seven generations in the South or in the Appalachians. It’s an easy one to catch. By contrast, few people are going to claim Navajo, because of their dis... Not “all,” but many, if not most fakes out there will claim this. This is just part of the larger Cherokee blood lore phenomenon. A lot of these people are from older eastern colonial ancestral roots, and many legitimately have this blood myth or lore about “Cherokee blood.” Meaning, it’s a thing that gets repeated in their families, and they are just running with the claim. Some just take it for what it is, unproven lore. But, some of these people really latch onto this pseudo-identity. The more zealous and those with true mental issues will spin it into much, much, more. So, that’s when yo... April 17 Catching the Trump Madness It seems that every day The trump madness deepens As our leader descends Into dementia and madness And his followers continue To follow having drunk the Koolaide They don’t see the madness That Trump has engendered They are immune from all criticism It is all fake news to them Nothing but nonsense Part of the anti-Trump cabal And as the world descends Into more madness Led by the mad king I despair Wondering if and when The world will wake up And shake off this madness This trump fever April 17 Releasing the Trump Monsters The Trump madness deepens And the world grows darker The evil ones have been released The wild things are growling The dogs of war Satan’s hell hounds Are on the loose Howling at the moon Running amuk Infecting us all With their madness As we all turn into mindless zombies Filled with hatred Jealousy and insanity As Trump and his neo-fascist Cabal unleash the monsters Of their dangerous id Devouring all reason Turning all they see Into raving lunatics As they set the world on fire Ushering in the ends of days Armageddon looms Will Trump be raptured away? Only God knows And he is not telling As we descend Into the maelstrom Hoping against hope That we can overcome The monsters That Trump has unleashed In the end Perhaps it does not matter As the world careens Deeper into hell There is no end Nothing but despair Forever and ever The Trump madness never ends April 17, 2019 President Trump International Fire Fighter in Chief? Our dear leader Our favorite President President Trump Once again Interjected himself Into areas that he knows nothing about Making a fool of himself In the process Why does he do this? Time after time Talking nonsense It is because He is the smartest man In the universe Knows more than anyone else And so he feels He has to comment On everything Under the sun And then some more Even when he Does not know What he is talking about So painful to watch such a fool Mark Twain had sage advice If you want people to think You are a fool Open your mouth and remove all doubt In the midst Of the devastating Paris Norte Dame Fire He tweeted “So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris,” “Perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it out. Must act quickly!” Later, Mr. Obvious noted, They’re having a terrible, terrible fire,” Mr Trump later told reporters. “It looks like it’s burning to the ground.” The French were not amused By the unwanted advice By the fire fighter in chief France’s civil defense agency, Sécurité Civile, tweeted — once in French and once in English — less than two hours after Mr Trump sent his tweet and appeared to directly respond to the US president. “Helicopter or aeroplane, the weight of the water and the intensity of the drop at low altitude could indeed weaken the structure of Notre Dame and result in collateral damage to the buildings in the vicinity,” the agency wrote in French. And despite never posting updates in English, the agency then sent out a second tweet. Hundreds of firemen of the Paris Fire Brigade are doing everything they can to bring the terrible #NotreDame fire under control. All means are being used, except for water-bombing aircrafts which, if used, could lead to the collapse of the entire structure of the cathedral. — Sécurité Civile Fr (@SecCivileFrance) April 15, 2019 And the French provided This helpful advice To the Fire Fighter in chief When California burned you did not seem to be a fire expert. Please, shut up. It is a tragic moment for the cultural heritage of humanity. US President Donald Trump lashed https://edition.cnn.com/2019/04/15/politics/donald-trump-notre-dame-fire-boeing-... for ‘ignorant’ tweet about Notre Dame World leaders mourned with France as the country watched its historic landmark burn. But Donald Trump’s Notre-Dame tweet fell flat. Notre Dame fire: Thousands watch as cathedral burns As a catastrophic fire tore through one of the world’s most beloved cultural treasures, US President Donald Trump assessed the response from the other side of the globe and offered unsolicited advice for firefighters. “So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris,” Mr Trump tweeted earlier today as more than 400 firefighters tried to save the Notre Dame cathedral. “Perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it out. Must act quickly!” The spire collapses as smoke and flames engulf the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Picture: Geoffroy Van Der HasseltSource:AFP Mr Trump had tweeted from Air Force One, minutes before he landed in the US state of Minnesota for a speech. “They’re having a terrible, terrible fire,” Mr Trump later told reporters. “It looks like it’s burning to the ground.” France’s civil defense agency, Sécurité Civile, tweeted — once in French and once in English — less than two hours after Mr Trump sent his tweet and appeared to directly respond to the US president. “Helicopter or aeroplane, the weight of the water and the intensity of the drop at low altitude could indeed weaken the structure of Notre Dame and result in collateral damage to the buildings in the vicinity,” the agency wrote in French. And despite never posting updates in English, the agency then sent out a second tweet. Hundreds of firemen of the Paris Fire Brigade are doing everything they can to bring the terrible #NotreDame fire under control. All means are being used, except for water-bombing aircrafts which, if used, could lead to the collapse of the entire structure of the cathedral. — Sécurité Civile Fr (@SecCivileFrance) April 15, 2019 Mr Trump’s tweet was almost universally slammed, with many of the president’s Twitter followers calling his advice “ignorant”. When California burned you did not seem to be a fire expert. Please, shut up. It is a tragic moment for the cultural heritage of humanity. — PabloMM (@PabloMM) April 15, 2019 Flying water tankers would damage the building, nice try Hundreds of firemen of the Paris Fire Brigade are doing everything they can to bring the terrible #NotreDame fire under control. All means are being used, except for water-bombing aircrafts which, if used, could lead to the collapse of the entire structure of the cathedral. — Sécurité Civile Fr (@SecCivileFrance) April 15, 2019 Wayne McPartland, a retired New York City Fire Department battalion chief, told CNBCthat aerial tankers are not the answer at Notre Dame. “If you hit that with tons of water from above, that’s going to collapse the entire structure and make the situation worse,” McPartland said. “If you miss, you might hit civilians in the street.” April 18 Little Man Child President Licenses Bankers have a license to steal money from their clients if you make a mistake the bank can steal your money as part of their banking license Governments have a license to steal money from the public its is called taxation or confiscation It seems that police these days have a license to kill unarmed brown people but only brown people and the president has a license to lie as he lies all the time just because he can and I have the ultimate license the poetic license to write these verses to enlighten the masses April 19 Balanced in Berkeley Born in Berkeley, California a product of the wild ’70s just a lost white brother hanging about downtown brothers can you hang about listen to me lover wildness left from the 60’ des want to fly away from California brothers leave the 60’s ride away my lover can you dig that without a doubt born in Berkeley, California April 20 it is darker than you think It is darker than you think an old hag an old witch strictly old school is talking to young people She tells them that it is darker than they think the end times approach She proclaims she sees the world ending and is warning them of what is to come She is following the dark master of the universe waiting for the end and she is afraid she sees the world the end of things the end of life She is afraid she tells her students to boldly face the coming end April 21 Spring Time Sketch in Youngchando, Korea In the early morning dawn I like to go for a walk Down among the cherry trees And flowering plants Just to welcome Another fine spring day As the sun comes up Dispelling my dismal mood And filling me With love Hope and peace As I walk the path Of the world peace forest Near my island home Near the chaos of the airport Through the forest and over the mountain breathing the springtime air alive filled with life and I think to myself this moment is the moment that I am meant to experience life itself and nothing more nothing less Just breath in life April 23 four haiku and one tanka walking on the path in the world peace forest snowing cherry trees the world at peace walking with love of my life all is right with me the falling cherry trees along the path of the forest reminds us of love endless noise on TV quiet on the path outside peace in my soul Tanka in dangerous times we retreat to our corners convinced we are right everyone else is evil everyone else must die April 24 Hidden Jewels in Seoul In Seoul A vibrant thriving city Of a million stories Of a million tales There are hidden jewels All around the city The city is laced With secret mountain paths Only the locals know Where these paths go As the mountain paths Criss cross the city Every neighborhood Has their mountain At the top Lies the exercise equipment And old men and woman Perhaps the guardian angels Of the mountain Mountain spirits Stand guard At the top of the mountain Looking down At the teeming masses Old men and woman Walkabout In the trails High in the mountains The city is also laced With canals and stream beds Everywhere you wander You are not far from waterways The secret trails cover the city Yet the city does not seem To know how to promote These wonderous trails Yes, the city of Seoul Is filled with hidden treasures Hidden gems Deep in the mountains As I walk in the hills Lost in thought The cherry trees Snowing all around I reflect again On the hidden gems The hidden trails The hidden treasure of Seoul April 25 Life of an Exiled Poet Wandering the Mountains I am living a lonely life Exiled from my homeland A stranger in a strange land Far from where I grew up Searching for what I lost Just an exiled poet Wandering the mountains Deep in thought Wondering what Adventures wait for me As I wander the mountain paths Wandering here and there Just searching for my lost life Wondering where my life Has gone so terribly wrong And why I am on this path I see on the mountain path A secret climbing cave And I enter the cave Hoping to find A portal Back to my lost world To my lost time To the beginning Of my journal The beginning Of my long exile But I can’t find My way back And am soon lost And so I become A ghost-like figure A lost soul of the damn Doomed to wander The world Wandering the mountains Lost in dark thoughts Forever exiled From my love |