Note; This is the first of a Poetry Series from almost three decades ago.  Sadly, very little has changed.  The Upland Peace Camp was one little effort in that quest.

This Poem should be read aloud for best effect. Very aloud.

Thanks Rich for the OCR help with this Series.

Upland Peace Camp #1 subtitle Suburban Police Farce
(there were no less than six suburban Police forces guarding us and
blockading cars from traveling up West 24th St., to the Army Reserve
Center and our protest. I was a support person, my girlfriend was
prepared to do CD. There were no arrests so I have no Poems about
this particular girlfriend being arrested. Also, the FBI was there
and took pictures, possibly because Jose Pena, from the Unity of
Salvadorean Workers, was there. Oh, and the state police were there,
too. Perfect time to rob a bank.)

Up Land, Park Side, Me de uh, and NP
State Police, Fate Police, Faith Police
Blue gray and brown cars
wanting to sur round
cars
while we sat on the ground, cars
sat and drank their coffee

FBI agents, it is rumoured, photographed us
I have Readings coming up
(shouted) I don’t want my MTV
I do want my FBI
pho to

NP, Park Side, Ches ter, and Up Land
while we sat in tents
in tense
in front of the Up Land Army Reserve
reserved for Authorized impersonnell
we spoke of Spanish Vietnam
one hundred american soldiers have died already!
how many are needed to die this time
is there a quota

after a while
in the stained rain
we have said some words
not by our words
or pamphlets or posters
but by our being
dare we dream of peace

Park Side, Spring. Field, Up Land, and Ches ter  

The Police assert they are here
The Police assert they are here
                                they are near
                                they are missing foot ball and beer
to pro tect the nigh bor hood
from a non-vio lent pro test
and to pro tect the pro test
from the neigh bours
and to pro tect them selves
from not getting over time
I believe
they heard me and Rum sey are here
and these are really
the Poet Po lice

The small silent country street
is not used to visitors
to having it’s mouth and eyes and ears
silenced
The truth is much too dangerous
unlike the lies
it might not
be fa tal

Spring field Ches ter, N P, and Park Side
grass and rain
wind and trains
we sit and announce the
pain
upstairs
heliocopters buzz like waiting wasps
are they Willie Goode’s sub ur ban Air Force?      

while we sit here,
while we sit near,
holding the pain , talkin’ ’bout the blood-
americans kill innocents and die too easily
in another stu pid war
When does
When does
When does the stu pidity die?
Bob Small 9/25/88-from 9/16/88