Poetry for All Those Breathing
“I just finished re-reading your poems
‘Poetry for All Those Breathing’
for the forth time since I bought it…
it is a fantastic collection…”
-Michael T., Boulder, CO
“I keep your book by my nightstand.
I read it as a form of serenity,
I read it as a form of understanding,
it is my companion when I feel alone.”
-Stacy R., Winnipeg, MB
"Poetry for All Those Breathing"
by Amy MarschakOnly 12.00
"Recent Poetry Posts"
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Poem: Which Pill Did He Take?Was Adam Lanza on Antidepressants?
Posted on July 22, 2012 | 4 CommentsAs the sun is setting,
And the flags are flying at half mast,
Shrouding the tears from the twelve who can cry no longer,
I have to ask,
Which pill did he take?
Was it red?
Was it blue?
Any pill,
Any pill at all,
To cover his pain,
Until his pain became rage,
Mixed with chemically induced mania, psychosis,*
Stuffed inside one man,
Until it shot out of him,
In the form of bullets.
And pill pushers reaped the profits.
While the victims paid the price.
And so I must ask again,
Which pill did he take?
Was it red?
Was it blue?
But in the media there is silence….
And more silence…
And more silence…
Until these drugs,
Create murders once more.
And again,
After those
Shootings…
The sun will begin to set,
And the flags will be lowered to half mast,
Shrouding the tears from the those who can cry no longer,
And again,
I will have to ask,
Which pill did they take?
And when will they tell us the truth?
I wrote this poem because I wanted to ask the question about James Holmes, the batman shooter, that the media is not asking. Why is no one questioning -
“Poem: Ode to Olestra”
Also titled “I Can’t Believe this Stuff is Still Legal”Posted on November 15, 2011 | 1 CommentI had a shocking experience this weekend after I ate exactly seven "Pringles Light Sour Cream and Onion" chips. After waking up in the middle of the night with severe cramps, diarrhea and extreme nauseous, I decided to research why I felt so horrible. I discovered that the chips I had eaten contained Olestra.
I never expected that a substance that used to have a warning label: "...Olestra may cause abdominal cramping and loose stools. Olestra inhibits the absorption of some vitamins and other nutrients..." A substance that the FDA "...received more than 20,000 such reports—more than for any other food additive in history" * would still be legal.
I dipped my chip,
In a touch of dip,
And chowed on it so quaintly.
Because it is,
A low fat chip,
I feel I could eat it nightly.
But through the night,
My stomach screamed,
What did you put in me?
I did not know,
But had to go,
Because my stomach's achy.
When poisons flow,
The bathroom I go,
Trip after trip after trip.
Which led me down,
To question roun',
Was it the chip or the dip?
My answer came,
From the raging fame,
Of a poison substance.
The non-fat chip,
And not the dip,
Was why my body's resistance.
Olean,**
P&G's Olestra Brand,
Can cause even anal leakage.
It's legal cause,
The corporate claws,
Can seize their financial reapage.
So before you eat,
Any American treat,
Look at what is in it.,
You may not be well,
You'll feel like hell,
Cause FDA wants more corporate profit.
As I write this, I still have yet to fully recover. This poem -
Poem: Listening to the Wisdom of a Statue:
An Ode to Chief NiwotPosted on November 5, 2011 | No CommentsWhen we stopped listening to the crickets ,
Lullabying us to sleep in the summer,
And the birds,
Singing us awake in the winter,
We missed listening to our hearts beating,
And telling us to love,
All of the time.
I began to cry realizing how much of Boulder and America's natural beauty and clean water has been lost to the short term thinking -
Occupy Denver Poem: This Grass is My Grass
Posted on October 29, 2011 | No CommentsWhat would you give,
To control that blade of grass,
Time in your day,
Your salaries,
Your freedom,
Your life?*
Denver police, state patrol, federal police,**
Please step back, step aside,
Step in and join us,
Together let's put people first,
And let the corporations serve the people or be voted out of existence.
I wrote this poem in response to the struggle for the lawn that occurred again -
Poem: The Other Occupation
Posted on October 26, 2011 | No Comments(Occupy Oakland, Occupy Denver and other occupations in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street have been forcibly evicted by riot police. To make sure that these citizens do not peaceably gather on the grass again in Denver, thousands of dollars are being spent to have police and state patrol protect the grass. After seeing the around 25 state patrollers occupying the capitol lawn and a bunch of Denver police occupy the city park after 11pm, wasting our tax money and impeding on our rights to peaceable assemble, I wrote this poem.)
I wanted to thank you,
For protecting the weak,
For standing for the rights,
Of those who could so easily be trampled,
For securing what cannot speak for itself.
Thank you for protecting the grass,
For it cannot speak for itself.
I suppose we, the people, do not need your protection,
Because we have mouths to speak
And hearts to control our future of peace
A future of solidarity
A future that we can all have hope in.
So thanks again for protecting the grass,
And maybe next year you will stand with us,
In a future of solidarity.
Are the following pictures of Tiananmen Square or the United States? -
Poem: Who Am I?
Posted on May 15, 2011 | 3 CommentsI saw my own power in Martin Luther King,
And I hid from it.
I saw my deep love in the royal wedding,
And I turned my face away from it.
I saw my heart in Mother Teresa,
And I shut off from it.
I saw my innate ability to heal in Edgar Cayce,
And out of respect, I shrunk from it.
And the world of love and peace that I could have created...
Disappeared...
As I ran away from my own greatness.
I wrote this poem after spending a few days at Edgar Cayce's Edgar Cayce Institute -
Poem: Life After the Congressional Budget Cuts
Posted on April 8, 2011 | 2 CommentsA little old lady,
Sits in the corner remembering,
A home, was very nice
A place to sleep, was very nice
But the biggest heartbreak of all
Was the loss of her only picture
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Excerpt from Book: Poem to Think About Libya and All Wars
Posted on March 23, 2011 | 2 CommentsAn arm, a leg, an eye, a tongue,
These are the prizes the soldiers have won.
But mom that's not all
They’ve got Saul -
Poem: Voting has its Consequences
Posted on February 25, 2011 | 2 CommentsWhen the Democrats decided to
Vote for a healthcare bill
Written by the insurance companies, -
Social Justice Poetry
Posted on February 11, 2011 | No CommentsMe: What suggestions would you give to struggling poets?
Alicia: Write. Every. Day. Read everything...Stop talking about writing, stop thinking about about writing, just "give it all, give it now" (Annie Dillard).
