Freedom Curtailed

Freedom for some

Seagulls fill the air with joy
anchored sailboats tug want to be free
sail around the world alone,
just as a Japanese fishing vessel did
ending up on the shores of Canada.
Alas, caught by the coast guard as it
prepared to sail for Chile and Peru.
Anchored in a lonely bay
waiting for its captain to catch up.
This slavery of navigation, yet it
had a year of freedom.
Seagulls fly, sleek bodies white as snow,
a storm is brewing
and the ocean is theirs alone.

poem by Oskar Hansen
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No Need

I try to drift off, in need of sleep
the verses tug at me
there will be no slumber
until this message is forged
for all to read and see.

Deep in Peru there was a city
pyramids.. an eternal flame
five thousand years have gone
stories are told.. all accounts are the same.

This culture was based on love
created upon free trade
no 'weapons of war' were found
no arrow points, nor shining blade.

Is there a lesson here?
A millennium tells the tale
love and creation
a peaceful nation..

[...] Read more

poem by Robert Scott Cohn
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Peruvian Tales: Cora, Tale VI

The troops of ALMAGRO and ALPHONSO meet on the plain of CUZCO --. MANCO -CAPAC attacks them by nights--His army is defeated, and he is forced to fly with its scattered remains--CORA goes in search of him-- Her infant in her arms--Overcome with fatigue, she rests at the foot of a mountain--An earthquake--A band of Indians fly to the mountain for shelter--CORA discovers her husband--Their interview--Her death --He escapes with his infant--ALMAGRO claims a share of the spoils of Cuzco--His contention with PIZARRO --The Spaniards destroy each other--ALMAGRO is taken prisoner, and put to death--His soldiers, in revenge, assassinate PIZARRO in his palace--LAS CASAS dies--The annual festival of the PERUVIANS --Their victories over the Spaniards in Chili--A wish for the restoration of their liberty--Conclusion.

At length ALMAGRO and ALPHONSO'S train,
Each peril past, unite on Cuzco's plain;
CAPAC resolves beneath the shroud of night
To pierce the hostile camp, and brave the fight;
Though weak the wrong'd PERUVIANS ' arrowy showers
To the dire weapons stern IBERIA pours,
Fierce was th' unequal contest, for the soul,
When rais'd by some high passion's strong controul,
New strings the nerves, and o'er the glowing frame
Breathes the warm spirit of heroic flame.
But from the scene where raging slaughter burns,
The timid muse with silent horror turns;
The blended sounds of grief she panting hears,
Where anguish dims a mother's eye with tears;
Or where the maid, who gave to love's soft power
Her faithful spirit, weeps the parting hour;
And O, till death shall ease the tender woe,

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poem by Helen Maria Williams
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Orinoco Flows

Verse 1:
Let me sail, let me sail, let the orinoco flow,
Let me reach, let me beach on the shores of tripoli.
Let me sail, let me sail, let me crash upon your shore,
Let me reach, let me beach far beyond the yellow sea.
Sail away, sail away, sail away. (x3)
Verse 2:
From bissau to palau - in the shade of avalon,
From fiji to tiree and the isles of ebony,
From peru to cebu hear the power of babylon,
From bali to cali - far beneath the coral sea.
Turning up, turning up, turning up, up I do. ohh. (x3)
Sail away, sail away, sail away. (x3)
Verse 3:
From the north to the south, ebudae into khartoum,
From the deep sea of clouds to the island of the moon,
Carry me on the waves to the land Ive never been,
Carry me on the waves to the lands Ive never seen.
We can sail, we can sail... with the orinoco flow
We can sail, we can sail...

[...] Read more

song performed by Enya
Added by Lucian Velea
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Hitchhiker

When I was a hitchhiker on the road
I had to count on you
But you needed me to ease the load
And for conversation too
Or did you just drive on through.
You didnt see me in toronto
When I first tried out some hash
Smoked some then and Ill do it again
If I only had some cash
Only had some cash.
Then I tried amphetamines
And my head was in a glass
Taped underneath the speedometer wires
Of my 48 buicks dash.
But I knew that wouldnt last.
Then came california
Where I first saw open water
In the land of opportunity
I knew I was getting hotter
I knew I was getting hotter.

[...] Read more

song performed by Neil Young
Added by Lucian Velea
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To Mrs. Barber

See, the bright Sun renews his annual Course,
Each Beam re--tinges, and revives its Force,
By Years uninjur'd; so may'st thou remain,
Not Time from thee, but thou from Time may'st gain:
O might the Fates thy vital Thread prolong,
And make thy Life immortal, as thy Song!

Less Lustre waits the God, when he refines
The rip'ning Metal in Peruvian Mines;
Brightens the Crystal with transparent Day,
Or points the Di'mond with its sparkling Ray;
Than when, delighted, he thy Soul inspires,
Informs thy Judgment, and thy Fancy fires;
Assists thee striking out some bold Design,
And breathes immortal Honours on each Line:
In common as His Rays on all descend,
So You the Great delight, the Poor befriend:
As Heat productive His bright Beams bestow,
So, warm with Life, your pow'rful Numbers flow:
As He from Clouds bursts forth divinely bright,

[...] Read more

poem by Mary Barber
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Johnsonian Address

.“Let observation with extensive view
“Survey mankind from China to Peru”—
(And whence—permit me in parenthesis
To ask—on such historic night as this
Could one more fitly, seasonably, quote
Than from some page that Samuel Johnson wrote,
Our Godsire, in the honoured name of whom
This feast we spread, this temple we illume,
These long church wardens we)—but to resume—
“Let observation with extensive view
“Survey mankind from China to Peru,”
And judgment following observation try
Those countless multitudes to classify.
Camper, and Blumenbach, and Cuvier too,
Surveyed mankind from China to Peru,
And many a savant of more modern fame
With the same end in view has done the same
Seeking some formula that should embrace
The thousandfold divisions of the race—
And yet the theme grows more and more occult,

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poem by James Brunton Stephens
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Timing X/space Junk

She was walking all alone
Down the street in the alley
Her name was sally
She never saw it
When she was hit by space junk
In new york miami beach
Heavy metal fell in cuba
Angola saudi arabia
On xmas eve said norad
A soviet sputnik hit africa
India venezuela (in texas
Kansas)
Its falling fast peru too
It keeps coming
And now Im mad about space junk
Im all burned out about space junk
Oooh walk & talk about space junk
It smashed my babys head
And now my sallys dead

song performed by Devo
Added by Lucian Velea
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Space Junk

She was walking all alone
Down the street in the alley
Her name was sally
She never saw it
When she was hit by space junk
In new york miami beach
Heavy metal fell in cuba
Angola saudi arabia
On xmas eve said norad
A soviet sputnik hit africa
India venezuela (in texas
Kansas)
Its falling fast peru too
It keeps coming
And now Im mad about space junk
Im all burned out about space junk
Oooh walk & talk about space junk
It smashed my babys head
And now my sallys dead

song performed by Devo
Added by Lucian Velea
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Song

Not the soft sighs of vernal gales,
The fragrance of the flowery vales,
The murmurs of the crystal rill,
The vocal grove, the verdant hill;
Not all their charms, though all unite,
Can touch my bosom with delight.

Not all the gems on India's shore,
Not all Peru's unbounded store,
Not all the power, nor all the fame,
That heroes, kings, or poets claim;
Nor knowledge which the learn'd approve,
To form one wish my soul can move.

Yet Nature's charms allure my eyes,
And knowledge, wealth, and fame I prize;
Fame, wealth, and knowledge I obtain,
Nor seek I Nature's charms in vain;
In lovely Stella all combine,
And, lovely Stella! thou art mine.

poem by Samuel Johnson
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The Convicts' Ball

San Quentin was brilliant. Within the halls
Of the noble pile with the frowning walls
(God knows they've enough to make them frown,
With a Governor trying to break them down!)
Was a blaze of light. 'Twas the natal day
Of his nibs the popular John S. Gray,
And many observers considered his birth
The primary cause of his moral worth.
'The ball is free!' cried Black Bart, and they all
Said a ball with no chain was a novel ball;
'And I never have seed,' said Jimmy Hope,
'Sech a lightsome dance withouten a rope.'
Chinamen, Indians, Portuguese, Blacks,
Russians, Italians, Kanucks and Kanaks,
Chilenos, Peruvians, Mexicans-all
Greased with their presence that notable ball.
None were excluded excepting, perhaps,
The Rev. Morrison's churchly chaps,
Whom, to prevent a religious debate,
The Warden had banished outside of the gate.

[...] Read more

poem by Ambrose Bierce
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The Llama

The Llama is a wooly sort of fleecy hairy goat,
With an indolent expression and an undulating throat
Like an unsuccessful literary man.

And I know the place he lives in (or at least- I think I do)
It is Ecuador, Brazil or Chile- possibly Peru;
You must find it in the Atlas if you can.
The Llama of the Pampasses you never should confound
(In spite of a deceptive similarity of sound)
With the Llama who is Lord of Turkestan.
For the former is a beautiful and valuable beast,
But the latter is not lovable nor useful in the least;
And the Ruminant is preferable surely to the Priest
Who battens on the woful superstitions of the East,
The Mongol of the Monastery of Shan.

poem by Hilaire Belloc
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To Attain Earth Care Diversity

"Taoism is solution life concept
teaching Yin Yang balance harmony
harmony in opposites achieved."

Western
common opposition
concept

disharmony
battle of sexes
apparently

male
female held
conceptions

are not complementarily.
This bodes ill for marriage survival
relationships between men

[...] Read more

poem by Terence George Craddock
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Song of Money

I had to pay one thing and another taxes
and debts and the cable television bill
the city was always too spread out for me

I didn't have the time to pay it all if I were a millionaire
I would hire a delivery service with a courier
but I have to go in person to the banks and offices

I didn't make it to the teller on time and had to wait
until the following day the following days multiplying
exponentially I don't know what this could mean

Money money that dirty and obsessive thing or dirty
because it's obsessive and above all because it's lacking
or lacking altogether or lacking in the desired amounts

There is an odd relationship between money and desire
and need I won't be the one to examine this in depth
these questions that should interest the Professors no end

[...] Read more

poem by Surya Raman
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A Model For The Laureate

ON thrones from China to Peru
All sorts of kings have sat
That men and women of all sorts
proclaimed both good and great;
And what's the odds if such as these
For reason of the State
Should keep their lovers waiting,
Keep their lovers waiting?
Some boast of beggar-kings and kings
Of rascals black and white
That rule because a strong right arm
Puts all men in a fright,
And drunk or sober live at ease
Where none gainsay their right,
And keep their lovers waiting,
Keep their lovers waiting.
The Muse is mute when public men
Applaud a modern throne:
Those cheers that can be bought or sold,
That office fools have run,

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poem by William Butler Yeats
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Ride My Llama

Remember the alamo
When help was on the way
Its better here and now,
I feel that good today.
Id like to take a walk
But not around the block
I really got some news
I met a man from mars.
He picked up all my guitars
And played me traveling songs.
And when we got on ship
He brought out something for the trip
And said, its old but its good
Like any other primitive would.
Im gonna ride my llama
From peru to texarkana
I wanna ride him good
In my old neighborhood
Im gonna ride him good
In my old neighborhood.

[...] Read more

song performed by Neil Young
Added by Lucian Velea
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Pan Am Highway Blues

I've gotten good at missin' her
I practice all the time
While I drive the Pan Am highway thru
With that cactus friend of mine
It's gettin' hard to see the white line rollin' by
I can't forget her memory deep inside

I dropped a bundle down in Panama
But the loss didn't do me no good
Spendin' cash and talkin' trash
Don't do it like it should
I realized I just couldn't buy her smile
I'll keep tryin' on that Pan Am mile by mile

If she'd meet me in San Salvador
I'd buy her a drink or two
We'd talk about our used to be
And ride on to Peru
The time to get it right is here and now
If she won't I'll move on anyhow

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song performed by ZZ Top from Tejas
Added by Lucian Velea
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Peruvian Tales: Cora, Tale IV

ALMAGRO'S expedition to Chili--His troops suffer great hardships from cold, in crossing the Andes--They reach Chili--The Chilians make a brave resistance--The revolt of the Peruvians in Cuzco---They are led on by MANCO CAPAC , the successor of ATALIBA --Parting with CORA , his wife--The Peruvians regain half their city--ALMAGRO leaves Chili--To avoid the Andes, he crosses a vast desert--His troops can find no water--They divide into two bands--ALPHONSO leads the second band, which soon reaches a fertile valley--The Spaniards observe that the natives are employed in searching the streams for gold--They resolve to attack them.

Now the stern partner of PIZARRO'S toils,
ALMAGRO , lur'd by hope of golden spoils,
To distant Chili's ever-verdant meads,
Through paths untrod, a band of warriors leads;
O'er the high Andes' frozen steeps they go,
And wander 'mid eternal hills of snow:
In vain the vivifying orb of day
Darts on th' impervious ice his fervent ray;
Cold, keen as chains the oceans of the pole,
Numbs the shrunk frame, and chills the vig'rous soul;
At length they reach luxuriant Chili's plain,
Where ends the dreary bound of winter's reign.
When first the brave Chilese, with eager glance,
Beheld the hostile sons of Spain advance,
Their threat'ning sabres red with purple streams,
Their lances quiv'ring in the solar beams,
With pale surprise they saw th' impending storm,

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poem by Helen Maria Williams
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We Are Not Strangers

we are not strangers,
you and i!
we have walked through history together.
and the dust on our feet,
be it from Atlantis or Peru,
glimmers in the starlight when we make love.
i made the ink you penned with,
you cut the trees for my pages.
perhaps i was a turtle, or a wild stallion,
and you were a mermaid, or a moth.
or perhaps i was branches gathered,
and you were the very fire.
or i was a prisoner of war,
and you the officer in charge.
or i was the plague, and you the cure.
the black man they hanged,
as you hid and wept.
perhaps i was the cross Jesus carried,
and you were Magdelene watching from afar.
or perhaps i was the star that fell,

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poem by Eric Cockrell
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Fernandez; Hispanic tutor for Mathematics

He's a part-time teacher for Mathematics.
But I go there to learn Spanish.
He resembles the former Chilean Ruler Augusto Pinochet
But very kind.
We started the Spanish abesedario. (alphabet)
'A for Amor,
That means love
Very common isn't it? '
He introduced me Maria Luisa.
'We are living together
And she's from Peru.'
She came towards us wearing a see through gown.
She looks like the lady in one of Paul Gauguin's prominent paintings.
I had two tumbler gulps of Tequila and my head spins.
Master sniffed and said; 'Postponed the classes and we do some other day.'
He wants me to write something special of love in his notebook
And offered me a Mascara pencil.
I wrote few lines.
'When the handsome poverty peeps through your shattered window
Beautiful love flees from the back latch door.'

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poem by Nimal Dunuhinga
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