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Home Poetry Beauty

‘The Great Living Hell’ and Other Poetry by Joe Tessitore

December 12, 2017
in Beauty, Culture, Deconstructing Communism, Poetry
A A
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A stack of books and other reading materials relating to the banned Falungong sect are set on fire in Shouguang city, in China's eastern Shandong province, 04 August 1999. Authorities in cities across China held more mass book burnings to rid the country of publications related to the banned mystical sect.   AFP PHOTO

A stack of books and other reading materials relating to the banned Falungong sect are set on fire in Shouguang city, in China's eastern Shandong province, 04 August 1999. Authorities in cities across China held more mass book burnings to rid the country of publications related to the banned mystical sect. AFP PHOTO

The Great Living Hell

On Communism

Under the radar I fly
Thru’ an ever more darkening sky
Thru’ the smoke from the volumes that burned
Thru’ the silence of lessons unlearned
Thru’ the sound of the shattering glass
Thru’ the thoughts of the mindless I pass
Thru’ the dust of the statues that fell
Thru’ the skies of the Great Living Hell

 

The Swamp

From the depths of the hidden swamp
where predators and villains romp
a nation watches in surprise
as they begin to drop like flies

Deplorable hypocrisy
exposed for all the world to see
A festering and fetid brew
until the light of day broke through

But still they scramble to repair
integrity that isn’t there
Pathetic yet without remorse
a swamp that must be drained by force

 

 

 

Joe Tessitore is a retired New York City resident and poet.

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Comments 2

  1. Robert Walton says:
    8 years ago

    Thanks for writing these poems. Your words are a consolation to all of us beneath the “ever darkening sky”.

    Reply
  2. Fr. Richard Libby says:
    8 years ago

    Well done on both! You certainly hit a timely bull’s eye with “The Swamp”.

    Reply

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