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1. The Eloquence of Distance (160 times seen)
13-05-2025 | Poems
The Eloquence of Distance   Afternoon Outing I walk through Carl Schurz Park along the East River on a warm winter day that has the birds conflicted. Some sparrows claim: ‘Spring is here’. Others insist: ‘It’s still winter.’ I stop at the...

2. Rigors (649 times seen)
24-07-2024 | Poems
Gary Beck/Rigors   Disorder Gunshots echo again as we huddle on the floor hoping the street battle will be over soon before bullets penetrate the walls of our apartment in public housing. Almost every night now shooting starts after dark so we don’t dar...

3. Objectives (848 times seen)
19-03-2024 | Poems
Gary Beck/Objectives   Shelter I don’t like living here. There’s no heat in winter. It’s sweaty hot in summer. None of the people are nice. This one guy wants to sex me. I told him I was only twelve but that didn’t matter to him. He keep try...

4. Glimpses (1004 times seen)
10-11-2023 | Poems
Gary Beck/Glimpses   Coincidence? We survived the Cold War, though a few times obliteration murmured and defeated the Soviet Union by outspending the big, bad, bear. Yet ongoing threats to American security changed the nation, gave the oligarchs opportunity ...

5. Molecular Distortion (1071 times seen)
23-08-2023 | Poems
Gary Beck/Molecular Distortion   Dumbing Down The rush of technology in the Information Age has left many behind. The switch from horse and buggy to the automobile separated those who couldn’t catch up to the new ride and eager drivers. The challenge to...

6. Discoveries (1283 times seen)
11-02-2023 | Poems
Gary Beck/Discoveries   Strange Surroundings I have always lived in alien enclaves. never taking root no matter how long I stayed in one place long enough to belong, my distance from others engraved in my soul, that for some reason, cause, curse, inheritance,...

7. Double Envelopment (1456 times seen)
16-09-2022 | Poems
Gary Beck/Double Envelopment   Unfair A child asked me: “Why do some people have so much and some so little?” I searched for words of comfort, but found none. I considered explanations, greed, capitalism, inherited wealth, but they wouldn’t mea...

8. Unillumined (1740 times seen)
08-05-2022 | Poems
Gary Beck/Unillumined   City Fixture The homeless sit on unrelenting streets cardboard signs advertising need. Passersby seldom notice the invisable men hulking on concrete nests.     Learning Gap The pace of life changes incrementally. the...

9. Unveilings (1542 times seen)
28-01-2022 | Poems
Gary Beck/Unveilings   Political Sketch Too many of us have become so angry, so self-righteous we don’t care if our country is torn apart, rather than reach across the great divide and compromise. Soon we will be like Russia oligarchs, functionaries, se...

10. Purpose (1467 times seen)
29-08-2021 | Poems
Gary Beck/Purpose   Assessment I sit among the aged, infirm, in the hospital room and know I am aged, infirm.   Unlike some I do not cry: 'where did the time go?' I know where it went. A lot of excitement. A lot of fulfillment.   Frustrat...

11. Lacerations (1599 times seen)
19-03-2021 | Poems
Gary Beck/Lacerations   Oglescope The weather is still warm enough for women to wear short skirts, tight tops, bare midriffs, a visual pleasure for those who care to look, soon to be removed with the first chill of fall.   Ponderous Changes In the ...

12. Learning Curve (1649 times seen)
02-11-2020 | Poems
Gary Beck/Learning Curve   Urban Reaches Alone in a great city strangers pass, intent on jobs, crime, shopping, terror. I know not what. They all look remote, don’t say ‘good morning’, don’t meet my gaze, except the hostiles, when I qu...

13. Fractional Disorder (1749 times seen)
28-04-2020 | Poems
Gary Beck/Fractional Disorder   Dread In the prevailing climate of imminent destruction of civilization, it may no longer be in our nature to save ourselves before it is too late.   Exploration I will no longer go down to the river, follow its flow...

14. Earth Links (2114 times seen)
26-06-2019 | Poems
Gary Beck/Earth Links   Celebration Independence Day may have meant more in the 1780’s, liberty just won, a new nation not yet as corrupt, oppressive, as the old world, new citizens hopeful the eloquent promise of new government would bring freedom.   Smolde...

15. Transitions (2344 times seen)
29-08-2018 | Poems
Gary Beck/Transitions   Do As I Say Primitive man didn't understand the nature of the universe and developed superstitions when answers were needed to make sense of life. When tribes gave way to church and state the new leaders promptly took charge of ...

16. Too Harsh For Pastels (2602 times seen)
30-11-2017 | Poems
Too Harsh For Pastels is an unpublished poetry collection that is concerned with the suffering and growing despair in our troubled society. Diversion III The captain reports fuel tanks are full, water tank topped off, preparations made for a day on the boat. The chef reports fresh caviar...

17. Mortal Coil (3367 times seen)
23-03-2017 | Poems
Mortal Coil is an unpublished poetry collection that grapples with the frailty of this conflicted life.   Traveler’s Cares Perils of the deep concern fewer and fewer voyagers, since air travel obsoleted ships. We go from place to place faster, safer then ever...

18. Virtual Living (3353 times seen)
11-07-2016 | Poems
Virtual Living is an unpublished collection vitally concerned with the growing frequency of substituting electronic interaction for physical activity.   Future War Cyber warriors defend the nation from sneak attack seated comfortably at computer screens, never face an en...

19. Blunt Force (3318 times seen)
03-02-2016 | Poems
Gary Beck/Blunt Force   Undesired Devices Terror hovers in the air, as people go about normal routines, some concerned with enemy threats, some indifferent, others oblivious until detonations loudly demand they share danger.   Clumsy Giant Now t...

20. Rulers (3822 times seen)
19-05-2015 | Poems
Gary Beck/Contusions   Rulers   Chiefs once evolved from their ability to provide food, security, earning the clan's gratitude for service to the people.   Tyrants pretended to care until they were strong enough to take more than their fair shar...

21. Rank Hath Its (3882 times seen)
19-05-2015 | Poems
Gary Beck/Contusions   Rank Hath Its…   Many Generals were killed in the brutal Civil War, when leaders led from the front. Few Generals died on the battlefields in succeeding wars, having convinced themselves and the gullible public that they wer...

22. Obituaries (3606 times seen)
19-05-2015 | Poems
Gary Beck/Contusions   Obituaries   Public housing was built to better the condition of the urban poor, providing decent apartments alternatives to tenements.   City planners didn't foresee that along with regular people the disaffected moved in...

23. Media Face (3852 times seen)
19-05-2015 | Poems
Gary Beck/Contusions   Media Face Crowds flock to the voting booth supporting the candidate they never met, but firmly believe in, have strong opinions about, argue passionately for against those with contrary views, giving a level of trust that no one with comm...

24. In Memoriam (3318 times seen)
19-05-2015 | Poems
Gary Beck/Contusions   In Memoriam   Once again that fateful day is remembered by some, while many are forgetting, as people always do, the shock and urgency of horrified reaction. And as the buildings fell, workers leaping from windows rather than burni...

25. Desperate Seeker (4141 times seen)
17-03-2013 | Poems
Desperate Seeker: 'Internet Yearning', 'Diminishing Voices', 'Observer', 'Protective Shield', 'Travel II'   Internet Yearning Ms lonely heart sits at her computer reviewing candidates at an on-line dating service, each one promising to make ...

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