Two poems by John Tustin

Bob Dylan is America

Bob Dylan is America.

Carl Sandburg is America.

Allen Ginsberg and Langston Hughes,

Shel Silverstein and Willie Nelson

Are America.

Just listen to them. Read their words.

Woody Guthrie is America. And Willie Dixon,

WC Fields,

The Brothers Marx,

Abbot and Costello.

Johnny Cash and Townes Van Zandt,

They are America.

Now Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot…

They’re Canada.

Books and Open Songs Playing

Books open and songs playing –

How you reside in every word

In every sound

And all this paper around me –

Scraps of you never to be forgotten

On pieces of yellow lined paper

Your body naked in the notes

That are

Scattered on the tables

Playing in a night

That is

So cold and otherwise

Noiseless

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John Tustin began writing poetry again twelve years ago after a hiatus just as long. fritzware.com/johntustinpoetry contains links to his published poetry online.