Structured poetry, more recent poems at microburstspoetry.wordpress.com
Visited more war
Memorials on my run
Than most will today –
On a special route I took
For this year’s Remembrance Day
11.11.16
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Copyright by Minh Tan on listed dated of completion.
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Notes to this poem…
Remembering those who fought or died –
In the war from where –
My family and I had to flee –
And remembering those who fought or died –
In the wars for where –
My family and I could be free –
A sincere thank you from me
11.11.16
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Copyright by Minh Tan on listed dated of completion.
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Notes to this poem…
I killed him on sight –
Cause had I shown him mercy –
He would have killed me –
Being my blood enemy
In this war over decades
08.07.16
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Copyright by Minh Tan on listed dated of completion.
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Notes to this poem…
Will the crescent moon –
Or the star be gone
From Turkey’s flag tomorrow?
07.15.16
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Copyright by Minh Tan on listed dated of completion.
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Notes to this poem…
I’m resting in peace –
While Turkey’s restless in war –
Half a world away
07.15.16
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Copyright by Minh Tan on listed dated of completion.
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Notes to this poem…
In less than 24 hours –
The world might forget
About Nice and France
07.15.16
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Copyright by Minh Tan on listed dated of completion.
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Notes to this poem…
Watching the Turkish
Military coup –
All on social media
07.15.16
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Copyright by Minh Tan on listed dated of completion.
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Notes to this poem…
Ask me about the weather,
Ask me what I think’s taboo,
Ask me if I would wear leather,
Or Who do I pray to?
Ask me any question, any day
Ask me cause you know I’ve always,
Got something to say!
Ask me how I’d solve global warming,
Ask me how I’d get world peace,
Ask me how I’d end world hunger,
Or inequality?
Ask me any question, any day,
Ask me cause you know I’ve always,
Got something to say!
But having an opinion, without discussion,
Thinking one is right, day and night,
Is a plan for, fights and war,
Hot heads, blood shed, lost heads and tears shed,
If we discuss our problems, I believe,
We can find the answers that would be,
Good for you and me!
So won’t you please tell me something,
What do you have to say?,
On any one of those things,
Or what strikes your fancy today?
Tell me your opinion, so that we,
Can mutually find the answers that would be,
Good for you and me…
And for humanity.
07.02.08 – 07.23.08
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Copyright by Minh Tan on listed dated of completion.
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Notes to this poem…
Ask me about the weather,
Ask me how I do feng shui,
Ask me if I would wear leather,
Or to whom I pray?
Ask me any question, any day,
Ask me cause you know I’ve always,
Got something to say!
Ask me what I think of friendship,
Ask me how I feel about love,
Ask me my views on money,
Or on happiness?
Ask me any question, any day,
Ask me cause you know I’ve always,
Got something to say!
Ask me about blogging, clear cut logging,
Autobahns and black swans,
Michael Jordan, Bob Dylan,
Islam, Viet Nam, H-bombs and my Mom,
Yeah, ask me any question, any day,
Ask me cause you know I’ve always,
Got something to say!
Ask me where I stand on abortion,
Ask me if I’d help someone die,
Ask me my beliefs in cloning,
Or in alien life.
Ask me any question, any day,
Ask me cause you know I’ve always,
Got something to say!
Ask me how I’d solve global warming,
Ask me how I’d get world peace,
Ask me how I’d end world hunger,
Or inequality?
Ask me any question, any day,
Ask me cause you know I’ve always,
Got something to say!
10.27.06 – 06.07.08
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Copyright by Minh Tan on listed dated of completion.
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Notes to this poem…
Continue reading “I’ve Always Got Something to Say [version 1.0]”
Far more Vietnamese than Americans
Were killed in the Viet Nam War –
The Americans had spent far more
Money to kill the Vietnamese –
Than the Vietnamese
Had spent to kill the Americans
But the Americans –
Ironically – also spent far more
Money to remember
Their deads from that War –
All because of Ceremony’s sake –
You see – the Vietnamese only had dirt and tears
With which to bury their deads all those years –
And neither costed much to make
09.27.95 – 10.02.95
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Copyright by Minh Tan on listed dated of completion
and published in Perspectives, ISBN 0-9686250-0-2.
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Notes to this poem…
The American Viet Nam Veterans’ Memorial –
One hundred and fifty metres of black granite walls
Engraved with 52,132 names of dead
Or missing in action Americans from the Viet Nam War
If Viet Nam had such a Memorial
To remember and honour her casualties in that War –
All of an estimated two and a half million of them –
That Wall would be over seven kilometres long –
And it would have a moat around it
To hold all the tears shed by its visitors
The length of that wall would be more
Than the distance some survivors could walk –
The number of names on that wall would have to be
The most sombre pattern ever created by man –
The sight of that wall would give new meaning
To the phrase ‘looking at Death’
However – such a Memorial for the Vietnamese
Could never be built –
Many of them died in entire families
And will forever be unaccounted for
The lack of such a Memorial for the Vietnamese –
Though – is definitely a blessing in disguise
If you don’t believe me –
Then just observe the scene any given day
At the American Viet Nam Veterans’ Memorial –
Then expand that scene –
Forty to fifty times – say –
And you will know exactly what I mean
09.06.95 – 09.27.95
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Copyright by Minh Tan on listed dated of completion
and published in Perspectives, ISBN 0-9686250-0-2.
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Notes to this poem…
These days – in Viet Nam –
There are beggars everywhere
Asking people if they’ve got money to spare –
But money is all they ask for
Because they know nothing can compensate
For their other losses from the Viet Nam War
09.07.95 – 09.26.95
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Copyright by Minh Tan on listed dated of completion
and published in Perspectives, ISBN 0-9686250-0-2.
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Notes to this poem…
Minh Tan's Old Poetry 