Three Poems: The Monkey Man of Lima, Plus Two More

What Hides behind the Minute?

What hides behind the minute?
It seems, no one really knows;
How many times will we wakeup,
To count the minutes gone?

The rose was dead when I arrived;
The sword, was rusty and dull;
The window curtain was open,
And there was music in the hall.

Oh lovely minute, where art thou?
One, is not like the other-:
Whirling in an earthly orbit,
As the boundless world discovers.

#675 5/18/05 [at the bookstore café; Roseville, MN USA]

12) Vietnam: Shrapnel

Here under the ball of blood
In Vietnam, the moon rises
The battlefield reeks with flies-
I swear I'll come out in one piece,
Or die?

The air-is melting Hot!
The heavens vomit shrapnel out.
A towering inferno-
My helmet, ashes and stones
Shrapnel rips by my face
The ground shakes.

You know you're all alone
With the blast and heap of metal.
One dies today, trapped?
In the middle of the blast;
Two wounded!...

#671

The Monkey Man of Lima
[Miraflores]

Advance: He is the last of his breed, I do believe; the Monkey Man of Miraflores, Lima, Peru. Who winds his wooden music-box up, while the monkey dances, pulls out a slip with your fortune on it, from its drawer, and hands it to you; he is seventy-four years old, small framed and I confess, whenever I go to Lima, about once or twice a year, I look forward in visiting him; which he is normally in the park seven days a week, from about 2:30 to 9:00 PM. He vacations about three times a year for about two weeks each time.

I used him as a character in one of my previous books, "The Mumbler," and gave him a copy, as one of the artists did a water color painting for the cover of the book, of him, and his monkey, and his music-box. His son read the book to him, since it was in English, and not Spanish. He thought it quite the item.

I know he is getting up in age, and his back will not hold out forever, carrying that big wooden box on his back ((a belt tied around him and the box))this man of five-foot three, 110-pounds) with his monkey in it-which he has carried for 60-years-but until it does, until he retires, he is worth seeing, if one takes a trip that way, that is. Permit me to echo an almost lost tradition in the poem that follows, one I saw when I was a kid for a short time in Minnesota, and one that lives on in Lima, Peru, today, but may not tomorrow. #661; 5/14/05.

-I get a-thinking!
Thinking of the 'ol Monkey Man
In Miraflores Park-;
As he carries his heavy load:
A music-box and Monkey-
Down the road
On his aging, solid back;
Looking for his special spot!
Once found-he cares and feeds
His long-tailed monkey?
Then settles down.

-I get thinking!
Thinking how he waits for the curious
To entertain them;
For a solid-metal coin!...
Once given, he winds the music box
As the monkey dances about
And gives a slip out;
Always of good fortune.
A music-box and a Monkey-
Down the road he goes
Goes home at 9:00 PM
With his monkey, and friend.

Dennis Siluk, Poet and Author, his website is: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com

---

Google News Updated : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 20:08:19 GMT Health Highlights: Sept. 6, 2008 - Washington Post Seattle Post Intelligencer Health Highlights: Sept. 6, 2008 Washington Post - 3 hours ago On the heels of the huge nationwide salmonella outbreak that caused more than 1400 illnesses from Mexican peppers, a regional Oregon alfalfa sprout distributor has recalled its product in Oregon and Washington state after the sprouts were linked to 13 ... Salmonellosis outbreak prompts sprout recall Forbes Salmonella outbreak traced to alfalfa sprouts Seattle Post Intelligencer TheMedGuru - Seattle Times - eFluxMedia - HeraldNet all 81 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 16:31:13 GMT Michigan spared sting of West Nile - Detroit Free Press LAist Michigan spared sting of West Nile Detroit Free Press - 12 hours ago BY SHERI McWHIRTER • RECORD-EAGLE • September 7, 2008 TRAVERSE CITY -- West Nile virus hasn't seriously bitten Michigan this year and seems to have spared the state's northern reaches. Yes, the mosquitoes were nasty this summer Yakima Herald-Republic Aerial survey being conducted to find mosquito breeding grounds San Jose Mercury News Lower Hudson Journal news - San Francisco Chronicle - Shelbyville News - Los Angeles Times all 361 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:53:44 GMT Side events bring out celebs in advance of VMAs - The Associated Press Washington Post Side events bring out celebs in advance of VMAs The Associated Press - 57 minutes ago LOS ANGELES (AP) - Though the MTV Video Music Awards are the main event in town this weekend, some celebrities are satisfied enough with the side activities connected to the extravaganza. Britney 'Getting an Opportunity to Start Over' at VMAs People Magazine Brand and Spears have been promoting the awards on MTV BBC News Access Hollywood - Hollywood Today Newsmagazine - eFluxMedia - Los Angeles Times all 1,761 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 19:10:38 GMT Spa Update: Hamilton Penalty Hands Win to Massa - AutoWeek Times Online Spa Update: Hamilton Penalty Hands Win to Massa AutoWeek - 1 hour ago By NIGEL ROEBUCK A drive-through penalty is the punishment for almost causing a collision in the pits. We know this because Bruno Senna was thus punished in the GP2 Series race at Spa-Francorchamps, and it cost him the race. Massa declared winner of Belgian GP The Associated Press Raikkonen's title hopes doused by Hamilton at Spa Motorsport.com International Herald Tribune - The Canadian Press - BBC Sport - CNN International all 2,193 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 18:46:22 GMT Hurricane, at Category 4, Heads Toward Cuba - New York Times Canada.com Hurricane, at Category 4, Heads Toward Cuba New York Times - 3 hours ago By MARIA NEWMAN Hurricane Ike grew into a bigger threat to Florida and the Gulf Coast Sunday as it roared through the Bahamas mid-morning, with forecasters expecting it to gain in strength as it approaches Cuba. Video: Raw Video: Ike Pounds Turks and Caicos AssociatedPress Powerful Hurricane Ike looms as trouble for Gulf The Associated Press AFP - Forbes - Los Angeles Times - Reiten Television KXMB Bismarck all 4,192 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 16:52:07 GMT India a step closer to nuclear trade - Christian Science Monitor Washington Post India a step closer to nuclear trade Christian Science Monitor - 3 hours ago The Nuclear Suppliers Group agreed Saturday to lift a 34-year ban on selling nuclear technology to India, even though it hasn't signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty. India secures controversial access to nuclear technology Telegraph.co.uk US Congress signals it will clear N-deal Times of India Hindu - Reuters South Africa - Washington Post - BBC News all 2,295 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 17:01:15 GMT 'Wrestler' takes top honors at Venice - Variety Variety 'Wrestler' takes top honors at Venice Variety - 1 hour ago By NICK VIVARELLI Darren Aronofsky drama “The Wrestler,â€� starring Mickey Rourke as washed out pro wrestler Randy (the Ram) Robinson, in comeback mode both on and off the screen, pinned down the Venice Film Festival’s Golden Lion. Is Evan Rachel Wood dropkicking Marilyn Manson for Mickey Rourke? Los Angeles Times A Glance at 'The Wrestler' Cinematical Washington Post - Hollywood Reporter - eFluxMedia - San Jose Mercury News all 671 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 18:55:44 GMT RSS2Blog Add RSS Feeds To My Web Pages

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

Why I enjoy Writing?

During interviews and general conversations with the public,one of the... Read More

Changes

I am not the one I was before yesterday.I cannot... Read More

Kens Poem

How wonderfully sweet to be a dweller dwelling... Read More

Blind Designs [a Poem] and a Note by Rosa on The Other Door

Blind DesignsBorn today, gone tomorrow Like a butterfly with no... Read More

Feelings, O How Glorious!

Sometimes we feel hard-pressed, Our backs against the wall;... Read More

Death & the Supernatural: Poetry/Five Poems

Supernatural PoetryHere are five poems,-what I call-death and supernatural poems.... Read More

Two Poems: Boyhood, and Old Age [with a note on style]

BoyhoodOh me! Thy glorious days have flown! I mealy noticed,... Read More

My Final Defeat - Fixed Competition

She probably can't remember and I know I can never... Read More

The Spirits de Copan

Part oneI see them in the skies I hear them... Read More

Recollections

I AM SO GRATEFUL for simpler times. Stores were closed... Read More

I Hate The Wait (Weight)

I get up in the morningAnd want to stay in... Read More

Here And There

My eyes opened. I am still alive; Living on... Read More

Elizabeth Barrett Browning: A Discussion of How Do I Love Thee?

"How Do I Love Thee?" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning was... Read More

Let Your Feelings Be Your Guide

The light of all eternity shines with me now /... Read More

Caught in the Arms of ED

YOU MIGHT THINK I AM STRONGI THINK YOU GOT IT... Read More

Top 20 Poetry Quotations

Explore the meaning of poetry and the motivation of poets... Read More

Contract of Death [Now: in SPANISH and English]

Contract of DeathI heard today, the preacher say: "Daniel has... Read More

I Saw the Universe

I can see the cerulean blue of the skiesOr the... Read More

Testimony to the Night [In English and Spanish]

In the quiet of the arctic night- In its deep... Read More

The Time Has Come and Buzzing

Most of my poems are written late at night, often,... Read More

A Happiness Poem

If a happiness poem could bring forth a smile, Then... Read More

Four Poems: Grendels Nature...the Racetrack...Counting days...[Now in English and Spanish]

English Version1) Grendel's DivorceYou must know that I do not... Read More

Three Poems: Liberty, Death, and a Frog [with Commentary on Liberty]

Frog SummerSummer grows hot, for the New-blooded frogs; The bugs... Read More

Listen as I Share: WE

You speak simple, completley understandable justifications I respect them, respect... Read More

Review Of Stephen B. Wileys First Book Of Poetry: HERO ISLAND

Poet Stephen B. Wiley's first book of poetry, Hero Island,... Read More