No Option But One

/ Issue 14.1 /

Whatever could have been
…or still might be comes
…without warning in our sleep.
The days of pain that never
…happened happen.
………………………………..Dreams
…of bounty or misjudgment differ
…only in degree and outcome
…from nausea to guilt.
…………………………………….Excess
…breeds regret.
…………………………Soldiers
…rise legless or armless or both
…from ranks of identical graves,
…accusing, accusing, accusing.
We struggle not to listen.
Titles like Mr. President,
…Your Royal Highness,
…You Holiness, Your Honor,
…Your Grace or anyone who holds
…the office of citizen mean nothing.
The bitter truth of nightmares
…comes without our wiling it.
Waking wiser or spared,
…our last defense is gratitude.

Samuel Hazo

Samuel Hazo

Samuel Hazo is the author of books of poetry, fiction, essays and plays, and is the founder and director of the International Poetry Forum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is also McAnulty Distinguished Professor of English Emeritus at Duquesne University, where he taught for forty-three years. From 1950 until 1957 he served in the United States Marine Corps, completing his tour as a captain. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame, a Master of Arts degree from Duquesne University and his doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh. Some of his previous works are And the Time Is, They Rule the World, Like a Man Gone Mad and Sexes: The Marriage Dialogues (Poetry), The Time Remaining and This Part of the World (Fiction), Watching Fire, Watching Rain and Tell it to the Marines (Drama), The Stroke of a Pen and Outspokenly Yours (Essays), and The Pittsburgh that Stays Within You (Memoir). His translations include Denis de Rougemont's The Growl of Deeper Waters, NadiaTueni’s Lebanon: Twenty Poems for One Love and Adonis' The Pages of Day and Night. In 2003 a selective collection of his poems, Just Once, received the Maurice English Poetry Award. He has been awarded twelve honorary doctorates. He was honored with the Griffin Award for Creative Writing from the University of Notre Dame, his alma mater, and was chosen to receive his tenth honorary doctorate from the university in 2008. A National Book Award finalist, he was named Pennsylvania’s first State Poet by Governor Robert Casey in l993, and he served until 2003.
Samuel Hazo

Also by Samuel Hazo (see all)

Author: Samuel Hazo

Samuel Hazo is the author of books of poetry, fiction, essays and plays, and is the founder and director of the International Poetry Forum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is also McAnulty Distinguished Professor of English Emeritus at Duquesne University, where he taught for forty-three years. From 1950 until 1957 he served in the United States Marine Corps, completing his tour as a captain. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame, a Master of Arts degree from Duquesne University and his doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh. Some of his previous works are And the Time Is, They Rule the World, Like a Man Gone Mad and Sexes: The Marriage Dialogues (Poetry), The Time Remaining and This Part of the World (Fiction), Watching Fire, Watching Rain and Tell it to the Marines (Drama), The Stroke of a Pen and Outspokenly Yours (Essays), and The Pittsburgh that Stays Within You (Memoir). His translations include Denis de Rougemont's The Growl of Deeper Waters, NadiaTueni’s Lebanon: Twenty Poems for One Love and Adonis' The Pages of Day and Night. In 2003 a selective collection of his poems, Just Once, received the Maurice English Poetry Award. He has been awarded twelve honorary doctorates. He was honored with the Griffin Award for Creative Writing from the University of Notre Dame, his alma mater, and was chosen to receive his tenth honorary doctorate from the university in 2008. A National Book Award finalist, he was named Pennsylvania’s first State Poet by Governor Robert Casey in l993, and he served until 2003.