$12.95
Bitter Planet is a book of poetry in free verse by Mark Nathan.
From The Author
At a time of such discord
Confusion, nationalism
Division lies and innuendos
I find this country and this world
Never closer to the abyss
My book touches on these issues
As well as our sole culpability
In the annihilation of this planet
And every living thing on it
It speaks to our indiscretions
Charges of naiveté credulity
That we can abandon righteousness
Embrace brazen foolery
For empty convenience is telling
That the future is a mirage
Only the moment matters
Is contemptuous
Do not bother me
With conflict for change
To bury our minds
In self-gratification is painless
That I accept it is far too late
To change our path forward
Other than marginally
Depends solely on our resolve
And the youth of this world
We have burdened
Regardless of our fate
On this little blue marble
Surrender is not an option
Poem Excerpts:
BLUE SPECK
9-27-2019
The brazen miracle
That is life
On a small planet
Called earth
In an endless sea of stars
15 billion
Light years across
God or godless
Alone or awash
We may very well be
The most amazing phenomenon
This universe has ever known
Or of no consequence
At all
We probably understand
Almost nothing
Of what is truly real
FOUR HORSES
5-11-17
I once was found
And traveled far beyond
Beyond where
Any breath had been
The soil beneath my feet
Was fertile and rich
As was everything afore me
There I saw
Four white horses
One for each season
One horse was Winter
And he wore a coat of calm
That could light any need
Even in the fieriest cold
One horse was Summer
Abundance was her name
Her bosoms were blessed
With all things full
One horse was Fall
He sowed the seeds
And knowledge
For all
One horse was Spring
And there upon him
Rode the last hope of man
INNOCENCE ABANDONED
10-21-2018
An aged stone statue
Of a child in wonder
Portends youth at risk
As all youth is
Their untapped exuberance
Naivete and enthusiasm
Is contagious
Their reprimand
Should not be trifled with
For their world awaits
The footman
Has abandoned his post
And in his haste
Left his beret and coat
For we are all inadequate
As men
The child chiseled in stone
Is telling
In that their curious stare
Demands clarity and prajna
Implores pity
To the down trodden
The stricken
And is master
For their mind is pure
Cognizant of all ahead
All behind
Equal in measure
To those in kind
Youth is outraged
For they are keenly aware
Of our disingenuous hypocrisy
Guile and greed
Their objection
Does not lie
In metaphors and deflection
They do not need
To slay us
For we are already impotent
It is enough
To be right
Youth knows the sword
For they
Are from its blood
And for that
We have failed them
In finality
Adolescence embraces
All the promise and plight
This world owns
No other aeon
Is more full of life
Nor holds more potential
We desperately
Look to them
To find a way out
Of this shattered
Wasted world
We have left
BLATANT INJUSTICE
11-15-2019
One man poor
Of color
Or mentally challenged
Goes to prison
Guilty as charged
Another man
White and privileged
Guilty as charged
Goes free
OUTRAGEOUS INEQUITY
11-15-2019
It is not plausible
One man toils
For a dollar a day
And another
250,000 dollars an hour
PERFECT MINDS
11-17-2019
Little kids
In all their wonder
Are all the reasons
We’ll ever need
To do the right thing
About the Author
As a singer songwriter, poet
Environmental and political activist
My volunteer work
For a sustainable world
Is crucial for my peace
The importance of family
My precious few friends
And our obligation to this planet
Is paramount
As a musician
I especially enjoy
Playing for the elderly
Reaching out to the poor
And downtrodden
For there is no greater gift
Than your time
The youth I look for
And listen to
For they hold the answers
To our plight
And the debt we leave
Although a loner by nature
My peaceful resolve seems trifle
In a world gone rogue
It is among these trials and tribulations
I lay bare my center
Looking for a quiet refuge of reflection
On the paths I’ve hiked and climbed
The many rivers I’ve paddled
Always looking for natures
Comfort and solitude
That nirvana is only
Around the corner
And we’ve already been
