Poems Against War journal editor Gregg Mosson will read some poems by Vietnam-era poet Robert Bly plus his own work, along with Maryland poets Auset, Alan Barish and Marcus Colasurdo bringing light, humor, and vision.

The fifth issue's theme is "Liberation," and the tone of the issue as well as the reading is designed to be positive and constructive. An open-mike follows for poets and musicians.

The reading will be on Saturday, Oct. 7, from 7 PM to 9PM. The Baltimore Ethical Society is at: 306 W Franklin St., and can be found online at www.baltimoreethicalsociety.org, or by calling (410) 581-2322.

Call and Answer
by Robert Bly
Tell me why it is we don¹t lift our voices these days
And cry over what is happening. Have you noticed
The plans are made for Iraq and the ice cap is melting?

I say to myself: "Go on, cry. What¹s the sense
Of being an adult and having no voice? Cry out!
See who will answer! This is Call and Answer!"

We will have to call especially loud to reach
Our angels, who are hard of hearing; they are hiding
In the jugs of silence filled during our wars.

Have we agreed to so many wars that we can¹t
Escape from silence? If we don¹t lift our voices, we allow
Others (who are ourselves) to rob the house.

How come we¹ve listened to the great criers -- Neruda,
Akhmatova, Thoreau, Frederick Douglass -- and now
We¹re silent as sparrows in the little bushes?

Some masters say our life lasts only seven days.
Where are we in the week? Is it Thursday yet?
Hurry, cry now! Soon Sunday night will come.

-- Robert Bly

BIOS
Auset is a Baltimore-based poet with a new chapbook, Thunder.

Alan Barysh is a Maryland poet with a forthcoming CD, Art Between Deliveries.

Marcus Colasurdo has written Bending Zen Wavelengths, a book of poetry, and a novel about his days as a taxi cab driver in L.A. Ask him about it.

Gregg Mosson's poems have appeared in Attic, Poet's Ink, and Perpetuum Mobile.