How Joan of Arc Felt

(Apologies to the Smiths)

In this fast-paced
modern news age

a Fox blonde
has one concern

Megyn's just discovered

Some Santas
are darker than others

Some Santas
are darker than others

Some Santas are "brothers"
or even
Muslim-like colors.

Send her your tchotchkes
the ones with White Jesus
and she'll be just fine.

This poem © 2013 Emily Cooper.

The Unrest Will Follow

(Apologies to En Vogue)

Inspire loathing
with words they choose
to describe themselves
and also maybe you.

Putin forgive them
for putting on airs
by saying Russia's women
don't have it quite fair.

They might support
the gay pride colors
it doesn't mean they'll make
Parliament kiss each other.

Free Pussy Riot
and let Greenpeacers go

Support human rights
and "amnesty"
won't be shallow.

This poem © 2013 Emily Cooper.

Sign of the Times

(Apologies to Ace of Base)

They saw him sign
right with their own two eyes
they saw him sign

through speeches commanding
the deaf got brave
grandstanding

Newhoudt saw him sign
right with her own two eyes
she saw him sign

apparently he just walked right up
and with millions watching thought
"What could go wrong?"

This poem © 2013 Emily Cooper.

Restless Peace

Changes in laws
don't change
the minds of the powerful
overnight

neither those
of the elite ruling party

nor those
of the rank-and-file citizens
granted access
to selective democracy.

But Nelson Mandela
accepted the long fight's
journey into day

and negotiated
with the night

because freedom
had no other choice.

This poem © 2013 Emily Cooper.

Grateful Living

(NaNoWriMo quote: just the word "grateful" in the title)

Gratitude means more
than hand-waving
dirty history

or placing modern suffering
safely in a box
labeled "Things We Can't Change"

at the very bottom
with the shinier
prettier
things on top.

And maybe it's true
that Hallmark has wrought
many a trite
"holiday greeting"
to overpriced cardboard
with the term

but rest assured
that real gratitude
is work
working for the living

every day of the year.

This poem © 2013 Emily Cooper.

Civil This Course

(NaNoWriMo quote: just the words "crisis" and "civil")

Scholars aren't sure Lincoln
despite his brief
unifying eloquence

connecting the sacrifices
of the dead
with the consciences
of the living

would approve of
Obama's presidency.

But they are fairly sure
that the Republicans
who undergird

their imagined
crisis-du-jour

with Lincoln's actual deeds
would be considered
unneeded hindrances
to civil governance

and perhaps
thought a fool by him
beyond all doubt.

This poem © 2013 Emily Cooper.

Inner Pieces

(NaNoWriMo quote: "into space")

At 1:28pm Eastern today
NASA launched
into space the MAVEN

(Mars Atmosphere
and Volatile EvolutioN)

Rocket
from Cape Canaveral
Air Force Station
in Florida

(which by the way
set off car alarms
at the nearby
Kennedy Space Center).

In 10 months the rocket
will reach Mars's orbit
and then
for at least 1 Earth year

the sensors will collect
data about the gradual erosions
of Mars's atmosphere

that started billions
of years ago.

Also accompanying the craft
are more than 1100
haiku of the familiar
five-seven-five
syllable count.

"Hey creatures of Mars
Earth-kind's got many failings
we've also got art."

This poem © 2013 Emily Cooper.

Standing Still

(NaNoWriMo quote: "Standing still")

One World Trade Center
a symbolic one thousand
seven hundred seventy-six
feet tall
including antenna

(which was ruled OK
by the Height Committee
of the Council on Tall Buildings
and Urban Habitat)

is set to open
in 2014.

On 911
the number of emergency
we stood still

(yes "we" were
everywhere
in both the "With Us" and
"Against Us" lands).

and yes
we are standing
still.

This poem © 2013 Emily Cooper.

The Beat Drones On

This poet has opinions
but tries to pause
before taking sides

knowing she will be
at least in her own thoughts
her own head one

of the silent
dedicated mourners

figuring out how
to care for the right things
and protect the truth

while staying in neutral.

This poem © 2013 Emily Cooper.

Shot Through the Blame

(Apologies to Jon Bon Jovi)

This poet knows
enough of history
to know that
the theory of the heart

being the warehouse
and processing plant of emotion
went out with the black bile
(generally speaking).

Still Dick Cheney
has a book out now
detailing how
in the year 2012

our doctors finally gave him
a brand-new one

and this poet
cannot help but think

he gave names
(and names
and names)
a bad heart
(bad heart).

This poem © 2013 Emily Cooper.

United She Stands

Until more recently than
this regular-
attempting-to-be-a-decent
-poet
-person
-and-citizen
(and already-exemplary-speller)
is happy to admit

she thought the Nobel
in Nobel Prize
was an alternate spelling
of Noble.
(Sorry.)

Malala Yousafzai
the girl who survived
the bullets of misguided men

did not win a prize
for her nobilty.

Yet she remains an inspiration
surely she is

but the world needs
not only the one
who stands in front
vulnerable

but the many
who will walk behind
in her defense.

This poem © 2013 Emily Cooper.

But Not for G(OP)

(Apologies to George Gershwin)

O's got his bills of health
but not for me

gives blacks
Latinos wealth
and takes from me.

With O' to lead the way
I'm bound like Shades of Grey

more than those Russian gays
do publicly.

It all began so well
but what an end

This is the time
rich fellas need a friend.

This poem © 2013 Emily Cooper.

A New Theism

A couple of English
stand-up comedians
Sanderson Jones
and Pippa Evans
are the founders
of Sunday Assembly

a "godless congregation"
for atheists
both mainline and devout.

Right now
there are 5 churches total
3 in Britain
1 in Australia
and 1 in New York City

but they are embarking
on an 18-city worldwide tour
so watch out.

The founder of the
new Los Angeles chapter
Ian Dodd says:

"What we're trying to do
is hold on to the bath water
while throwing out the baby Jesus."

This poem © 2013 Emily Cooper.

The Big Red Button

This poet has lived
the self-aware
part of her life
with Macs and/or PCs

so she knows a bit
how they function but

if it don't work
the way you want
sometimes you still gotta push
the button
and shut 'er down.

So yeah GOP

fingers crossed
the Tea Party
is so tired
through it all

they don't realize the box
still did a few useful things
when it was on.

This poem © 2013 Emily Cooper.

Dance to the Nye-est Star

Thank you Bill Nye
the Science Guy

for filling this poet's
young brain

(and those
of other future
liberal arts English majors)

with entertaining
but never dumbed-down
science facts.

Geology meterology
chemistry biology archaeology
(thankfully no Scientology).

And also
for having
the second-most-funky
theme song on TV
(next to Fresh Prince's).

This poem © 2013 Emily Cooper.

These Dreams

(A few apologies to Heart for borrowing a title)

This poet sees
that these dreams
require intervals of work
followed by intervals of rest

but it's hard to dream alone
so invite your friends

and don't get too angry
if they bring along
their own dreams.

This poet will try
to follow that advice.

This poem © 2013 Emily Cooper.

Walk Like the Bee Gees

If Egypt
had an anthem

that
when sung
did just
what it said

This poet would go with
stayin' alive
stayin' alive

walkin'
talkin'
not kicked around
anymore.

It's alright
it's okay
live to see another day
(and lots lots more)
understandin'.

Something about
the New York Times.

Brothers.
Mothers.

Stayin' alive
stayin' alive.

In fact this poet
would vote
for mis-remembered
Bee Gees tunes
to become anthems
the world over.

Maybe it'll work?

This poem © 2013 Emily Cooper.

Pre-Despotition

(Apologies to the King of Rock 'n' Roll)

Wise chuvak say
"Be gay or Russian."
But they can't help
falling in love with Pu'.

"Let us stay"
Would that be a sin

if they can't help
falling in love with Pu'?

Like the Volga flows
to the Caspian Sea
they'll wave rainbow flags
and beg
"Pu' look at me."

Fly-fishing or thrown
from hang gliders down to sea
Harley
horse or piano
"Vladimir's so fine to me."

Take your soft iron hands
and tell gays what to do

for they can't help
falling in love with Pu'.

This poem © 2013 Emily Cooper.

Old-Fashioned Notions

Republicans breaking vows
they never
meant to keep

Federal spying
democracies rising
and falling
and fledgling

this fussing over royal babies
can all leave you
sighing
and wondering

what has love got to do
got to do with it?

Tina Turner
married Erwin Bach.

There's a phrase that fits.

This poem © 2013 Emily Cooper.

Her Majesty's Labour

Until further notice
all humans when born

either emerge
from vaginas
or are cut out of people
with vaginas
(vaginae
if we're being technical).

So
to clarify

a poor woman
can still give birth

and though the world
may not
be watching

it happens.

A rich man
cannot.

This poem © 2013 Emily Cooper.