Mark Pallatino
has been a resident of Madison, WI since 2002. He has written on a variety
of subjects over the years. His passion rests with poetry/lyrics.
If we were to wake tomorrow to a world without music, film, literature, art of
any kind, the heart of the planet would be gone. He says, “For me, artists
are the soul of this world.” pallatino@aol.com
| A Liberal Slice Of American Pie Dylan had written that the times were a-changin' From beatniks to folk music it was all re-arrangin' The Beatles had landed and the British wave had begun The youth picked a flower instead of a gun Civil rights earned through marches and beatings in the streets The musical backdrop played to new different beats There was Ginsberg with poetry, Warhol with art Abbie Hoffman with speech and the Kennedys with heart Old thoughts out-of-style, two worlds were now clashin' It was much more than image, it was much more than fashion This was a liberal slice of American pie Served up from the earth to the moon in the sky So take a free slice and eat it above But it goes best on the earth with a big peace of love Papa John asked us to wear flowers in our hair Monterey Pop the gift he did share It was the summer of love, a new way of living Hippies arrived with the gifts they were giving There was love at the Haight, it no longer could wait For this generation was a product of fate Of Hendrix and Joplin and Morrison's words Jefferson Airplane was flying along with The Byrds Mrs. Robinson seduced us, sex not taboo Poitier and a white girl were a new couple, too This was a liberal slice of American pie Served up from the earth to the moon in the sky So take a free slice and eat it above But it goes best on the earth with a big peace of love We were grateful for The Dead and psychedelic sweet Cream Alive with a Reverend and the hope of his dream From Frisco to the Village and the hip London scene To people and places and those in-between The kids of June and Ward Cleaver snatched from suburbia beds Sent off to a war along with the heads Then Kennedy and King both targets of violence But that didn't bring the struggle to silence Daley at night, his force in the streets of Chi town Brought all of America much further down This was a liberal slice of American pie Served up from the earth to the moon in the sky So take a free slice and eat it above But it goes best on the earth with a big peace of love There was an iconoclastic battle of new anti-heroes The silent majority called them all hippy zeros Jon Voight's new "Midnight Cowboy" up against John Wayne's old "True Grit" It was 1969 and the Stones still a hit Woodstock turned muddy, the summer was bloody The students protested, with little to study Even in sports there was change everywhere Broadway Joe began wearing much longer hair All they were saying was give peace a chance All they had wanted was to make love enhance This was a liberal slice of American pie Served up from the earth to the moon in the sky So take a free slice and eat it above But it goes best on the earth with a big peace of love |
| God Some call him Buddha, Krishna or Jesus the Christ Still others call him she and declare that a heist What's in a name as Shakespeare once wrote Does it matter the name behind the words that you quote? Is he Lord or Maitreya, Satan or God? This battle for your soul is all rather odd Perhaps he is Goddess, perhaps she is Lord In any event, these words make us bored God is within and without, below and above Some say he's hate, but I say he's love God is for sinners and saints, the "is" and the aints For Darwin and Yogis and the picture each paints For those who have more and those who have less For the rich and the poor and those who confess God is for those we call Muslim, Christian and Jew For friends and for enemies, for me and for you God is in all, from the large to the small Far beyond any name that you thought on to call God is within and without, below and above Some say he's hate, but I say he's love Lennon once said God is a concept, a yardstick for pain If an atheist believed would he say God is insane? Marx described religion as the opiate of the masses Somewhat responsible for the division of classes Some say he's vengeance, to be feared when we die Some call that the truth, still others a lie Does it matter at all if Eve caused the fall? Does it matter at all on what name that you call? God is within and without, below and above Some say he's hate, but I say he's love |