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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
JAWEH AND ALLAH BATTLE, by ALLEN GINSBERG Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: Jaweh with atom bomb Subject(s): Jews; Mysticism - Judaism; Judaism | |||
Jaweh with Atom bomb Allah cuts throat of Infidels Jaweh's armies beat down neighboring tribes Will Red Sea waters close & drown th'armies of Allah? Israel's tribes worshipping the Golden Calf Moses broke the Tablets of Law. Zalmon Schacter Lubovitcher Rebbe what you say Stone Commandments broken on the ground Sufi Sam whaddya say Shall Prophet's companions dance circled round Synagogue while Jews doven bearded electric? Both Gods Terrible! Awful Jaweh Allah! Both hook-nosed gods, circumcized. Jaweh Allah which unreal? Which stronger Illusion? Which stronger Army? Which gives most frightening command? What God maintain egohood in Eden? Which be Nameless? Which enter Abyss of Light? Worlds of Gods, jealous Warriors, Humans, Animals & Flowers, Hungry Ghosts, even Hell Beings all die, Snake cock and pig eat eachother's tails & perish All Jews all Moslems'll die all Israelis all Arabs Cairo's angry millions Jerusalem's multitudes suffer Death's dream Armies in battle! Yea let Tribes wander to tin camps at cold Europe's walls? Yea let the Million sit in desert shantytowns with tin cups? I'm a Jew cries Allah! Empty Buddha circumcized! Snake sneaking apple to Eden -- Alien, Wanderer, Caller of the Great Call! What Prophet born on this ground bound me Eternal to Palestine circled by Armies tanks, droning bomber motors, radar electric computers? What Mind directed Stern Gang Irgun Al Fatah Black September? Meyer Lansky? Nixon Shah? Gangster? Premier? King? one-eyed General Dayan? Golda Meir & Kissinger bound me with Arms? HITLER AND STALIN SENT ME HERE! WEITZMANN & BEN-GURION SENT ME HERE! NASSER AND SADAT SENT ME HERE! ARAFAT SENT ME HERE! MESSIAH SENT ME HERE! GOD SENT ME HERE! Buchenwald sent me here! Vietnam sent me here! My-Lai sent me here! Lidice sent me here! My mother sent me here! I WAS BORN HERE IN ISRAEL, Arab circumcized, my father had a coffee shop in Jerusalem One day the Soldiers came & told me to walk down road my hands up walk away leave my house business forever! The Israelis sent me here! Solomon's Temple the Pyramids & Sphinx sent me here! JAWEH AND ALLAH SENT ME HERE! Abraham will take me to his bosom! Mohammed will guide me to Paradise! Christ sent me here to be crucified! Buddha will wipe us out and destroy the world. The New York Times and Cairo Editorialist Heykal sent me here! Commentary and Palestine Review sent me here! The International Zionist Conspiracy sent me here! Syrian Politicians sent me here! Heroic Pan-Arab Nationalists sent me here! They're sending Armies to my side -- The Americans & Russians are sending bombing planes tanks Chinese Egyptians Syrians help me battle for my righteous house my Soul's dirt Spirit's Nation body's boundaries & Self's territory my Zionist homeland my Palestine inheritance The Capitalist Communist & Third World Peoples Republics Dictatorships Police States Socialisms & Democracies are all sending Deadly Weapons to our aid! We shall triumph over the Enemy! Maintain our Separate Identity! Proud History evermore! Defend our own bodies here this Holy Land! This hill Golgotha never forget, never relinquish inhabit thru Eternity under Allah Christ Yaweh forever one God Shema Yisroel Adonoi Eluhenu Adonoi Echad! La ilah illa' Allah hu! OY! AH! HU! OY! AH! HU! SHALOM! SHANTIH! SALAAM! Used with the permission of Copper Canyon Press, P.O. Box 271, Port Townsend, WA 98368-0271, www.cc.press.org | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE RABBI'S SON-IN-LAW by SABINE BARING-GOULD A LITTLE HISTORY by DAVID LEHMAN FOR I WILL CONSIDER YOUR DOG MOLLY by DAVID LEHMAN JEWISH GRAVEYARDS, ITALY by PHILIP LEVINE NATIONAL THOUGHTS by YEHUDA AMICHAI SOUNDS OF THE RESURRECTED DEAD MAN'S FOOTSTEPS (#3): 2. ANGEL ... by MARVIN BELL |
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