Juno

Hey all
"Juno"
that Ellen Page is gay?
It's true.

In the movie
that quip-for-every-situation
premature preggo said

"I never realized how much
I loved being home

unless I'd been
somewhere really different
for a while."

Paulie Bleeker says
"I always think
you're cute.
I think
you're beautiful."

"Does this change
the movie at all?"

This poem © 2014 Emily Cooper.

This Is Just To Say

(A poem by Chris James Christie)

I have fired
the top aides
that caused traffic problems in
Fort Lee

and which
you probably realized I was
tolerating
for years

Forgive me
they were amenable
so calculating
and so connected

This poem © 2014 Emily Cooper.

Trekking Halls

America's favorite
human rights activist

and culturally-sensitive
ambassador to Ghana

Shirley Temple Black
has died.

In 1975
she said she felt political dialogue
was dominated
by the world's superpowers

that "there weren't
enough countries
talking to the developing countries."

And so
nearly 40 years later
with this still

all-too-true
fact of foreign policy

this poet
nominates Miley Cyrus
for the post
(any country really)

in a symbolic gesture
showing our country
can in fact

let go of the troublesome past
by turning in
one of our own

to the annals of
"Didn't that girl
used to do
something else?"

"How should I know?

This poem © 2014 Emily Cooper.

Moral March

We were many people
waving many banners

marching together
under whatever
we call God

Race gender class
preference for love

(certain folks
dared call us "fringe")

all feeling a sense of resolve
on a cloudy February day

"Forward together
not one step back."

We walked and stood
and were led
by black justice traditions

hearing stories
(from the aforementioned fringe)

of solidarity
and too many
real-life scars.

"It's mighty low"
to use power
to take away

yet Rev. William J. Barber
made sure
not to indict.

"It is not
Democrat versus Republican

It is not 
liberal versus conservative

It is
right versus wrong."

Then he sang the refrain
of "higher ground"
over and over

till we felt the mass
of ourselves

pushing upwards.

This poem © 2014 Emily Cooper.

If I Was Your Congressman

(Sung by Clay Aiken)

What ya doin' tonight
Are you just beating
your head on the wall?

Like you're really alone
Rich men stealing your dreams

Why can't I bring
you into my life?

'Cause I've got
what it takes
to make those
dreams come alive

If I was your congressman
Then I could meet
in every voter's room
If it's me
in congress man
I'd make everything fine tonight

If resolve was unshakable
then I could just
tell you where I stand

I would share my smartest plans
If I was your congressman

Let's just check
and see if I am.

This poem © 2014 Emily Cooper.

Life is a Contribution

In 2011
at the age of 92
after participating

in the New York
Occupy protest
Pete Seeger said

"Be wary
of great leaders.
Hope that there
are many many
small leaders."

This poem © 2014 Emily Cooper.

Everybody's Doin' the Time

Hey childless women
walkin' the streets
you're suckin' hard
on Obama's big teat

Dems say you're a charity case
and you ain't discreet

Keep eggs un-fertilized
on the government's dime

you're complicit
in their slutty crimes.

Take us down
to Mike Huckabee's city

where Uncle Sugar
hands out Yasmin
to the babes
who are pretty

oh won't you please
take us home?

This poem © 2014 Emily Cooper.

Don't Let It Be

When you found yourself
in big big trouble
you used God's authority
to make your priests the victims
Holy See

Rather than reveal their darkness
to some state authority
you were their protection racket
Holy See

Holy See
Holy See
Holy See
Holy See
those children need your answer
Holy See.

This poem © 2014 Emily Cooper.

Bridge Lines

(Apologies to Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams)

Everybody held up
Everybody held up
Hey hey hey
Hey hey hey

If you didn't know
what Mr. Wildstein say

If you didn't know
your peeps
planned it this way
Maybe you're out of your mind

Everybody held up

We know you're desperate
but you're a "good gov"

Office blocked traffic
Commuters getting spastic
You say "Why you blastin'?"

We hate these bridge lines
We know you want it
We know you want it
We know you want it
But you're a "good gov"

This attention-grabbin'
and bein' so nasty

Lib' children miss classes

Everybody held up

You want to be prez?
What rhymes with "be prez"?

This poem © 2014 Emily Cooper.

Bro Code

It's the New Year
Pope Francis is still yakking
about the world's ills

and that we have
a "responsibility" to work towards
a worldwide
"community of brothers"

(and knowing him
probably sisters too)

who accept
each other's "diversity"
and "take care
of one another".

So this poet will
get off her
irresponsible
liberal duff
reach across the aisle

and wish Barbara Bush
a speedy recovery
who also said

"You get nothing done
if you don't listen to each other."

This poem © 2014 Emily Cooper.

As News Goes By

You must remember this
Whether new Pope
or gay kiss
Prez speaks
Important people die

Fundamental or trivial
sometimes
the news goes by.

And when things happen
as they do
that's another poem or two
On that you can rely.

This poet'll keep you
wittily apprised
as news goes by.

This poem © 2013 Emily Cooper.

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.