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THE GOLDEN DOOR- -- message following

THE GOLDEN DOOR

From sunlit shores
across gray seas
like Alice into the Looking Glass
through a Golden Door
we passed
with dreams of better days

Fools with foolish ways
clowns and buffoons of sentimentality
were we
to hearts who would never know
or see
souls that in passion’s fire glow

we love our liiviing
we mourn our dead
we open our soul
for the world to see
and are misread

From sunlit shores
across gray seas we came
to plant our seeds
watch them grow
hoping they would know
better days.

Last few words: 
WE are, for the most part,the "content" of our poetry, This was the workd I knew--the world of Ellis IslanD ITALIAN EMIGRATION IN AMERICA. [ early - mid 20th century]. Cultural misunderstandings about "us" are as prevalent now as they were then My perceptions may not a;ways be the same or even remotely similar, but they are mine. I welcome critique, but not a cruel trivializatikon of the content of my poetry-hat goes straight to character and personality... Testing the waters with this post. I am on 2 other sites but appreciate the constructive critique on NEO. Grazie assai, molto assai per la Vostra gentillezza. Joe Geremia [aka Guseppe Bernardo Giovanni Longo casa Geremia]
Editing stage: 

Comments

warch them grow"

Stepping through the looking glass into a new world
from the heat and culture of one of its great centres
to a new unknown shore. Well expressed Joe.

How strangely people react to newcomers/immigrants to their country, and even now:- "The mass media has consistently ignored five centuries of Italian American history, and has elevated what was never more than a minute subculture to the dominant Italian American culture."(Wikepedia)

What have the Americans missed, a culture so richly endowed has been veiled in misunderstanding and prejudice, we humans are sometimes sad peoples, we look for the bad sides of others instead of enhancing, through communication, the good sides. A kind of Functional Illiteracy!

This undercurrent influences the behaviour and expressions of many Italian immigrants even generations after their arrival in USA. How bitter we make each other by not truly understanding each other. Life is not for enduring, but living.

I got carried away Joe, mi scusi, hope this is all right.
LuvAnni.

"The image of yourself which you see in a mirror Is dead,
but the reflection of the moon on water, lives." Kenzan.

Anni, you said it all right. You always do.

Love to you, my dear friend.

Il Longobardolino

author comment

I expect this is the plight of all immigrants in any country. The reason it has worked here so well is the willingness of the newbies to assimilate while still remembering their roots. You need to check "warch them grow" for that typo..........stan

Thanks, Stan and Lonnie. I will fix that typo, Stan. Iamhappy for the years and proud of who I am--always was and feel it more intensely now.

author comment

Leave not anything to chance
we inherited the earth equally,
why should man made fallacious follies
make us feel inferior
I wonder do you?

I always say
and
adopt two principles in life…
First is to FIGHT when one is right
and
Second to APPOLOGISE when one is wrong

This policy I have followed
and
applied to one and all
thus I share with you
my lovely friends and poets
Fly above the soaring sky
fly into realmdom
as today is yours
perhaps not tomorrow …
Of that none can be sure.

loved

A good comment Istan. Ann

"The image of yourself which you see in a mirror Is dead,
but the reflection of the moon on water, lives." Kenzan.

I have relinquished the
ISTAN name
in favour of
Welsley Snow

loved

courage of any immigrants, no matter their race, creed or religion.I know that the Italian people have contributed more than the Mafi or Costra Nostra to this country. Many of the people that worked and lived here in my childhood neighborhoods, were good friends and neighbors. They were a huge part of the manufacturing work-force at G.E. and American Locomotive here in Schenectady, N.Y. Joe, you did this one proud, and it applies equally well to all immigrants. ~ Gee

There is value to commenting and critique, tell us how you feel about our work.
This must be the place, 'cause there ain't no place like this place anywhere near this place.

Thanks, Gee. This one was for my dad.

author comment
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