like those before me
i too hear america sing
but from here it sounds
like the rhythmical
sputtering of guns
along the city streets
with a chorus of hissing
tear gas and crackling
of human bonfires
with extra verses of
fusty law-and-order
hail-hail the gang’s all here
god bless ye merry gentlemen
peace on earth
good will to
all
men
you blindsided me. when I pull up your site I click on the audio button and close my eyes and listen, and then look over your written poem.
“like those before me / I too hear america sing…” I expected something dark from you behind those almost cliched apparently optimistic lines.
And again at the end, you take cultural cliches, and turn them on their head – or maybe more precisely you pull back the curtain of the stage they get paraded on…
This is powerful writing – the harsh truths that get swept under the rug unless artists, poets, musicians, etc. etc. keep unsweeping them…
Art people can deliver such messages in ways that are, well, artistic. So the messages don’t come off like the 6 o’clock news – sometimes just depressing. You and I both know this, I’m just clarifying it in my own mind.
Your latest group of poems are so strong, and read like you were clear in your intention and purpose when you wrote them…
Read Between the Minds 
This is a wonderful poem.
death is the start of another life.
wonderful poem!
Happy Friday!
Nice one!
You are always critical Charlie!
I think people like you make what America is all about:
a wonderful place in constant improvement!
Thank you
Mirella
Yep it’s called the American Dream… cause you have to be asleep to believe it!
PS Charles, how’s your vacation? Sorry for not having dropped by lately. Just busy nurturing my demons.
you blindsided me. when I pull up your site I click on the audio button and close my eyes and listen, and then look over your written poem.
“like those before me / I too hear america sing…” I expected something dark from you behind those almost cliched apparently optimistic lines.
And again at the end, you take cultural cliches, and turn them on their head – or maybe more precisely you pull back the curtain of the stage they get paraded on…
Once again, impressed.
(Above, in my 2nd paragraph I should have added “but not as brutally dark as you present.”)
This is powerful writing – the harsh truths that get swept under the rug unless artists, poets, musicians, etc. etc. keep unsweeping them…
Art people can deliver such messages in ways that are, well, artistic. So the messages don’t come off like the 6 o’clock news – sometimes just depressing. You and I both know this, I’m just clarifying it in my own mind.
Your latest group of poems are so strong, and read like you were clear in your intention and purpose when you wrote them…
I hear these things too. -Sue
Amazing how close this is true even more so today than 6 years ago when you wrote it…
Thank you Courtney…the real surprise is that I wrote that poem during the 1960’s and published 6 years ago…thanks for reading my poetry.