American Opinion (by d.a. levy)
d.a. levy, poet (1942-1968)
AMERICAN OPINION
There are bookshops
selling flowers called
poppies for the people
white poppies
for the American people
selling flowers (thru the mail)
Republic flowers
guaranteed "Limited Vision
& Hallucinations" cut from the
plant's flowering top
Oh Mexican god of flowers
there is a blue-rose-sticker
on your stone bouquet
proclaiming
"Support your Local Police"
who put that there?
Not Emerson or Thoreau
Not Whitman or Poe
is that a flawed lotus
in the window of your skull
what strange lobotomies
to think that the american
opinion is found in a box
of Viet-Nam blood incense
American Opium Bookshop
i seem to have seen
ideals of black americans
& roses of spanish americans
& games of white americans
& transparaent smokers whose
views differ SomeWhat
& the
lonely vision of Lincoln
(corresponding with Marx) &
the Humor of Mark Twain &
the dreams of the children & the
hundred thousand songs of
unknown assassinated Kennedys
& even Eugene Debs was an
american flower (altho i didn't
see you selling his flowers
nightshades of mccarthyism
Whose Liberty are you defending
with flowers that give you
joyous visions of chinese children
flaming on yr fucking american
birthday cake?
taken from ukanhavyrfuckinciti bak
originally collected and edited by rjs and
published by t.l. kryss, GHOST PRESS CLEVELAND, 1967
since d.a. levy rejected copyright as "copyrot"
you may freely reproduce and pass on his work
* * * * *
To view an inspired video of Jesus Crisis reading levy's work please visit
http://crisisblog.crisischronicles.com/2008/07/25/jesus-da-levytates-on-video.aspx
For more d.a. levy, check out the page clevelandmemory.org has devoted to him.
Another excellent resource for schools (and everyone else) can be found at
www.clevelandpoetryarchive.com
for even more by or about d.a. levy, please check out these:
Posted by Jesus Crisis at 10/16/2008 9:55 AM 
Categories: Cleveland, 1900s, Writing, levy (d.a), American
Categories: Cleveland, 1900s, Writing, levy (d.a), American
i try to imagine what he would say about today.
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I also wonder what he would say about the present. Perhaps you are trying to be a reincarnation of d.a. since he died the year you were born. So carry on his tradition as rebel...
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helen, levy died in '68, john was born in '66.
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I think he would sound alot like Smith today...
Lots of political bitterness here ... it would be interesting to know when this was written... bespeaks Vietnam war.... or any war really .. but has a particular edge to it that sounds much more current.
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yes, i was referring to what he would say politically, but i also wonder what he would say now about just about everything. so much has changed in the world since he died. it was safer to have sex for instance, although i don't imagine it was really any different in the 60's about love, because i don't think love ever changes. hair styles and clothing styles may come and go, but love remains eternal. i don't think one can really apply the phrase "back in the day" to the word love, and levy certainly knew about love.
i think that out of all the poets i know of in a more contemporary "dead poets society", levy is the one i personally get the best.
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