A friend asked for a copy of this poem from The Big Book of Daniel from Bottom Dog Press, 2011, edited by Maj Ragain.
Famous in the Neighborhood
Famous in the neighborhood
Among children and gods
And all living things hidden
I walk about talking nonsense
Inhaling through the ears energy
Putting humor on the mouth showing teeth
In the street I run amuck
Having learned in my quest
For maximum security
A flair for fair play
Everything truly amazes me
How people get up, go to work
How they get through the day
Without breaking down
How at night their dreams let them sleep
Ah, citizens, shopkeepers, servants of the law
This is, indeed, an age of obscenities
The four-letter word has long been outstripped
By its competition from the Pentagon
Pollution is reaching eclipse proportions
We are left muttering to ourselves
Traditional graffiti
And pity poor protest
Bound. Gagged. Held in contempt
Mediocrity sits in the judgment seat
The mad bombers are on the way…
Yet, the rain falls, the grass is wet
The robin eats the worm
The voices of children are heard from the turtle
In the sandbox in the park
As the sun, still famous in my neighborhood
Shines its shoes and walks through the sky
– Daniel Thompson
