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Showing posts with label Kyrgyzstan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kyrgyzstan. Show all posts

Friday, May 14, 2010

The King is a Pawn [Today's News Poem, May 14, 2010]

The King is a Pawn [Today's News Poem, May 14, 2010]

The endgame approaches. The pieces are playing
On boards that they own, for the pawn is the monarch
When fending a square from attackers: its battles,
Predestined by mystery masters. Their plans are
Inscrutable: patient conspiracies playing
The King as the puppet. Invisible forces
Resolve what's uncertain for chessmen: they struggle
As gambits unfold and the game's been determined.

“At least eight people were killed and up to 121 injured during a day of violence between anti-government protesters and troops which drew months of stand-off in Bangkok closer to an endgame.”
– The Times Online, May 14, 2010
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article7126802.ece

“A chaotic day of deadly street violence in southern Kyrgyzstan ended Friday with the interim government retaking control of administration buildings in two southern cities.”
– Andrew E. Kramer, The New York Times, May 14, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/15/world/asia/15kyrgyz.html

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Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Drowning in a Sea of Chum [Today's News Poem, April 27, 2010]

Drowning in a Sea of Chum [Today's News Poem, April 27, 2010]

“Chávez has nurtured economic, energy and political ties with Tehran in response to what he terms aggression from the US "empire". The two governments have not announced any military accords.”
– Rory Carroll, The Guardian, 27 April 2010 19.09 BST
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/27/iran-venezuela-pentagon-report

“"You must not relax, in order not to permit what is happening in some republics, what recently happened in Kyrgyzstan," he said. "This is what we don't need. If somebody is applauding and rejoicing, it's not the Kyrgyz people."
Lukashenko was referring to an April 7 uprising that ousted Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and killed at least 85 people in the Central Asian nation.”
– Reuters Tuesday, April 27, 2010; 12:52 PM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/27/AR2010042702779.html

“Thai protesters forced a shutdown of Bangkok's busy elevated train system Tuesday and promised to expand their street demonstrations, escalating weeks of anti-government demonstrations that have paralyzed much of the capital.”
– RAVI NESSMAN (AP) – 3 hours ago as of 12:18pm PST
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g3j-vAVG1fg3kEfnogTiH8_4EXvwD9FBG6AO0

Bitterness rejects the notion
Life exists upon an ocean
Slurping all with tides of drowning.
Climb atop the chum—he's frowning
Anyway—he's going down, so
Grab the branch with honey drops, though
Frenemies demand a share—no!

Bitterness inhales the smoggy
Air until its lungs are soggy.
Blackened, choking, still it's breathing—
Gasping true, it's screaming—wheezing.
Cleanliness: one breath undoing
Years of phlegm; to stop eschewing
Promises of life renewing?

Bitterness rejects the notion.

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Sunday, April 11, 2010

Fright or Flight [News Poem, April 11, 2010]

Fright or Flight [News Poem, April 11, 2010]
“Lech Kaczynski... was a firm backer of U.S.-led attempts to expand the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which he saw as a bulwark against Russia's attempts to reassert influence in the region. He sought to strengthen Poland's position against Russia and Germany, its powerful historical foes to east and west”
–Marc Champion and James Marson, Wall Street Journal, APRIL 11, 2010, 12:18 P.M. ET
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304168004575177943816071322.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines
“Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich has scrapped a state body set up to oversee the country's eventual accession to NATO"
--Reuters,April 6, 2010 6:09 a.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/04/06/world/international-uk-ukraine-nato.html
“Back in 2005, the last time angry crowds toppled the government of Kyrgyzstan, the United States found itself in an awkward position: among the rallying cries was an allegation that the ruling family had benefited handsomely from Pentagon contracts. Now, substantially the same thing appears to be happening again.”
-Andrew E. Kramer, The New York Times, Published: April 11, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/12/world/asia/12manas.html
“About 1,300 U.S. troops have been stuck at the Manas airfield in Kyrgyzstan because of the civil unrest there. ”
--Barbara Starr, CNN, April 10, 2010 5:04 p.m. EDT
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/04/10/kyrgyzstan.us.troops/
“Construction has commenced on the 1,224 km Nord Stream Natural Gas pipeline, which will link Russian natural gas reserves to Europe. “Our pipeline will provide a direct link from here to Germany’s Baltic coast and from there on to gas consumers right across Europe,” said Nord Stream Managing Director Matthias Warnig.”
--Pipelines International, Mon, 12 April 2010
http://pipelinesinternational.com/news/nord_stream_construction_commences/040074/

Conviction's sight will often fix
Ahead, behind, but rarely fore.
The animal inside us tricks
And thwarts our guile. We thus ignore
The panicked pump inside our brain
That throttles intellect asleep.
Before we step onto a train
Or through a crowd, it's smothered deep
Within a narrative of calm—
That we may carry-on with life.
Routines and plans are both the balms
For fight or flight. The world is rife
With airplane trips that sometimes crash
And brazen bones that burned to ash.

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