Who's The Boss

I give you my fealty, 

Sire,

with a tug of the forelock

and a f*****g big axe

in the back,

turn away, my lord,

turn away,

            and look to the hills

            and don't look back in anger

            I heard somebody say

your stolen land

          ( that I plough )

for the love of nature

       the ingrained ( God ) dirt

                              of generations

          Look away, Sire,

ye Gods, what a beautiful sight

                                    dusklight shimmers

                                    27 degrees sharpened blade

      like - steel - like - bone

these fields,

                     this mud,

                                     my land

Reviews

[barleygirl]

Last evening I watched one of the best "westerns" I've watched -- "Forsaken" -- with the superb dad-son duo, the Sutherlands. A pack of bad guys were killing people who would not sell their land to them. The stunning thing was how readily, how gleefully these bad guys would kill a man. Your poem reminds me of this as a slice of "the old days" when folks settled land disputes with gun duels & all-out bloody skirmishes. Which brings me to the blow-out at our Capitol this week . . . I guess that "land-grab-by-gun" mentality is still alive & strong in the USA! (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[gram linski]

hey Margie, thanks for the great review, the Sutherlands s**t all over the Sheens, that's for sure, lol,, hope you enjoy the civil war, always appreciate your views, happy new year big hugs back at ya

[Chris Shaw]

Tresspassers won't just be prosecuted they will be murdered:)) Wow, I felt that axe in my back as I stepped over the border. You have asserted yerself, you are the boss and I bow to yer. Hope you are keeping well and safe gram. I saw yer window on the board and I thought I would drop in and say hello. I know you to be a more friendly guy than what your muse has suggested :))

Chris

[gram linski]

hey, Chris, thanks as always for great reviews, aye we were a bit more barbaric back in the day, lol, once you get past the gruff exterior, I am indeed a friendly guy, take care down there,

[Eilis]

I do think Brendan Kennelly would love the dark humor and dynamic historical glimpse that you offer with this poem. The word glisten comes into my head like the blood on the blade glistening in the moonlight and the speaker turning the blade in the light and embracing the mad-rage that has overcome him.

I really enjoy the way you speak to history with this sense rather than telling. Your details place the poem world implicitly in its time and the distance between now and then makes the dark humor that underlies the poem somewhat more palatable. I guess like watching war play out in historical drama. It feels somewhat safe to relish the defeats.

I think this is a great companion to your farmer poet series. There are many forgotten voices. But there’s always poetry to help them speak again. Great poetry, Gram.

[gram linski]

aye Brendan would be proud, haha, high praise indeed, Eilis I have been reading him a lot recently, ah f**k have I nicked, nae, heroized, his beautiful words with my b*****d blues, ah f**k what's a linski to do , the pig farmers poet son finally finds a voice, lol,

[Ruth]

Times are tense to say the least and such tension and imbalance bleeds through everywhere like a river - Gram, as always your poetry has left me reeling in so many thought paths! Brilliant metaphor/imagery/execution, just wow...this poem will linger in my mind for a while :) Stay well...

[gram linski]

thanks for the great review, Ruth, if it has got you thinking, then please let me know wtf i am on about, lol, , take care ,over there,