Gumball # 54 Taking a Poetic Stand
Today's News . . . Today's Poem
The New Verse News
presents politically progressive poetry on current events and topical issues.
Thank you to James Penha, editor of The New Verse News for featuring our tan-renga haiga on July 15th. I have been enjoying collaborating with Christina Chin, this is one of our serious pieces.
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Substack newsletter and submit your writings. Check out his About PageThoughts behind our tan-renga
[Kenya] was left reeling after peaceful rallies last month to protest planned steep tax increases flared into deadly violence, with police firing at crowds who stormed the Parliament of Kenya, leaving it partly ablaze. Led largely by young people, the protests plunged [President] Ruto’s administration into the most serious crisis of his presidency, forcing him to abandon the tax hikes and scramble to contain the damage. —AlJazeera, July 11, 2024
While I have your attention, sharing a few more of my political pieces
My response after listening to this discussion
This was written shortly after the Uvalde shooting
The middle drawer in my dresser holds childhood drawings, homemade Mother’s Days cards, and photographs. The opening thought came to me while out walking our dog, Beau. I know how it feels when nothing more can be added.
It broke my heart to have other parents feel this new reality, it is the hugs and laughter we miss the most. The current count is way past 19, this is beyond me why this keeps happening
Still
mass majority
mass shooting
why so proud?
inconvenient truths
guns and roses
child size coffins
a Convent of Mothers
loitering in the gun lobby
deaf ears
back in the saddle
the high horse tramples
Augean stables -enough tears may cleanse it
-Marjorie Pezzoli
Why I wrote the above, listened to The Sunday Story - Is this what Democracy looks like? Episode 1 of Supermajority from NPR's Embedded, host Meribah Knigh
Politics as usual, what will it take for change to happen?
Why is it even necessary to have to write this?
Prayers and thoughts are not enough…
I am honored to call her my friend and writing partner:
Christina Chin is a painter and haiku poet from Malaysia. She is a four-time recipient of top 100 in the mDAC Summit Contests, exhibited at the Palo Alto Art Center, California. 1st prize winner of the 34th Annual Cherry Blossom Sakura Festival 2020 Haiku Contest. 1st prize winner in the 8th Setouchi Matsuyama 2019 Photohaiku Contest. She has been published in numerous journals, multilingual journals, and anthologies, including Japan's prestigious monthly Haikukai Magazine.
This is one of my heavier offerings, now you know why I write lighthearted pieces to lighten my mood.
till next week - Marjorie