Allen Ginsberg’s Handwritten Poem For Bernie Sanders, “Burlington Snow” (1986)

[Catherina]

Special Collections, University of Vermont Libraries

...

Socialist snow on the streets
Socialist talk in the Maverick bookstore
Socialist kids sucking socialist lollipops
Socialist poetry in socialist mouths
—aren’t the birds frozen socialists?
Aren’t the snowclouds blocking the airfield
Social Democratic Appearances?
Isn’t the socialist sky owned by
the socialist sun?
Earth itself socialist, forests, rivers, lakes
furry mountains, socialist salt
in oceans?
Isn’t this poem socialist? It doesn’t
belong to me anymore.

Calling it “Burlington Snow,” Ginsberg composed the poem—equal parts goofy and sincere—on a visit to the city, one of many pilgrimages made by left-wing writers and artists after Sanders’ string of attempted foreign policy interventions. You can read all about the optimistic socialist—or democratic socialist, or whatever—in Paul Lewis’ Guardian portrait.

http://www.openculture.com/2015/07/allen-ginsbergs-handwritten-poem-for-bernie-sanders-burlington-snow-1986.html

[orpupilofnature57]

1. Is indicting the CIA as a Mayor Socialist ?

[KT2000]

2. "Earth itself socialist"

yes - ecology is socialist!

[merrily]

3. Burlington's Democratic Socialist Mayor turned Burlington around, physically, economically,

environmentally, culturally, etc.

http://www.thenation.com/article/bernies-burlington-city-sustainable-future/