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Open Poetry #23
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Customs
| Open Poetry #23 |
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Customs |
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Kethry Member Rara Avis
since 2000-07-29
Posts 9082Victoria Australia 
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Travelling, I ask you then Have you ever seen custom's men? With blue shirts and hyena grins Checking, checking everything As if travel has this deal Weary travellers get the spiel "Do you have dirt or grain or song?" The litany goes on and on While the line wends slow and sure To that delight - the exit door "One moment please! That bag you bear Can you declare what's in there? Open it - you'll soon be done" But still more questions while there's sun Until with pain we show our sins To satisfy their facile grins Working lines of rich and poor Until it stretches out the door While the line wends slow and sure To that delight - the exit door Each day you'll find they're always there Perhaps to show the world still cares Hyena grins, hide the job I wouldn't do; not for two bob Every single day the same With people who won't play the game Who snarl and say, "get going there, D'ya think we have all day to spare?" While the line wends slow and sure To hide their booty - reach the door And customs men in shirts of blue Protect the state, with jobs to do Next time you see a customs man Be glad and smile, they give a damn Prevent disease and threats or more While queues of travellers seek the door They stay behind with jobs to do Be glad it's them and never you Customs men, with hyena grins And shirts of blue see everything. Here in the midst of my lonely abyss, a single joy I find...your presence in my mind. Unknown |
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| © Copyright 2002 Lynne Dale - All Rights Reserved | |||
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Toerag Member Ascendant
since 1999-07-29
Posts 5622Ala bam a |
Ah ha! And what's in this little plastic bag Mr. Toerag?..Hmmm....looks like reefer to me, guess we better fire one up and see..ya think? |
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Kethry Member Rara Avis
since 2000-07-29
Posts 9082Victoria Australia |
Toe, the only reefer the customs men would be interested in if it is was Barrier Reef(er) in a plastic bag, it's illegal to bring in. Keth Here in the midst of my lonely abyss, a single joy I find...your presence in my mind. Unknown |
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suthern
since 1999-07-29
Posts 20723Louisiana |
This is wonderful, Kethry! *S* And it brought a big smile of memory to my face. *S* Several of us were returning from France long ago in kinder, gentler days... where the main concern was reporting everything so that duty could be assessed. *S* One of my friends had bought posters... dozens of them, as gifts for others and to have framed for his home... they were all neatly rolled up, but it had taken him hours to prepare them for travel. *S* So, one by one, we stroll through customs, declaring whatever we might have... getting at most a cursory glance through our belongings... and then came Gary and his poster collection. LOL I kid you not, the customs guys unrolled every single one!!! We were HOURS late getting into New York. LOL (And yes, we could have gone on and left Gary to ride in later... but then we'd have missed months of nagging him! LOL |
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Earth Angel Member Empyrean
since 2002-08-27
Posts 40215Realms of Light |
Kethry, this was superbly written! I can imagine the Customs Department would want to post this poem all over the place! It is a thankless job, but a necessary one. I greatly enjoyed reading this---and can also identify with it! Love, Light & Laughter Linda |
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Seymour Tabin Member Empyrean
since 1999-07-07
Posts 31720Tamarac Fla |
Kethry Excellent write, I can relate to that. |
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VAS Member Rara Avis
since 2000-11-16
Posts 7450Oregon |
Extremely well written and timely! The repeating line is perfect and perfectly spaced. Whether on the shoal or on the shore, |
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Titia Geertman Member Ascendant
since 2001-05-07
Posts 5182Netherlands |
LOL Keth, what a nice way to honor those men/women who only do their jobs. They asked me nothing at all when I went back, not in the States nor in Holland. I must have worn that look "Don't you dare!!!make me unpack that heavy suitcase"!!!!  Hugs, Titia Like scattered leaves...my words will flow |
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Kethry Member Rara Avis
since 2000-07-29
Posts 9082Victoria Australia |
suthern, I think I must have incited the custom's man to apoplexy, I had several packs of peanuts (not one or two mind but I think six) stashed over various parts of my luggage, including a pack my grandson had given me to eat on the way over. He kept asking me what are those and I would tell him, chocolate coated peanuts in a sealed pack, caramel coated peanuts in a sealed bottle (I blame Lyra for these), ordinary peanets in a sealed pack. I think he thought I was making it up as I went along. *S Earth Angel, perhaps thay would. I only wrote it because the customs man dared me to. I made the mistake of telling him I had been to a poet's convention and he immediately asked if I wrote and if did could I write him a poem, so I did Sy, I guess anyone who's travelled can relate to the drone of the airplane being taken over by the drone of costom's men voices. VAS, I was very fortunate in that the people from Bali were also being returned to Australia at the same time. It could have been a lot worse going through customs. Titia, I wore that look too and if it hadn't been for all the various peanuts I may have got away with it. *Knuffles* Keth Here in the midst of my lonely abyss, a single joy I find...your presence in my mind. Unknown |
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garysgirl 
since 2002-09-29
Posts 19237Florida, USA |
Kethry, this was written very well, as is all of your work. I could just see those custom people looking through everyone's luggage. I liked what you said in your reply about having all the peanuts in your luggage, too. I can just imagine what the guys were thinking. Thanks for sharing this poem with us. Love to All, Ethel |
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majnu
since 2002-10-13
Posts 1088SF Bay Area |
in the summer of 2000, my family re-entered the US from india at LAX, whence we were to board a short hopper up to the bay area. international customs were the standard affair. however when we went to board the domestic flight we were politley informed at the baggage check that because of the democratic national convention the airport computer was "randomly" picking people to have their bags searched in an attempt to deter and/or detect terrorists. my family was picked of course. my last name is Ali. of the other ~100 people having their bags searched there was not 1 caucasian, latino, or oriental. random, sure. the hell with them. i have still gotten the pocket knife that i habitually carry on airplanes. they are still incompetent. |
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nakdthoughts Member Laureate
since 2000-10-29
Posts 19200Between the Lines |
I have never travelled out of the country so I can't relate...but I do feel for those who have to empty their bags.... nice tribute to those men in blue...  Maureen |
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Mistletoe Angel
since 2000-12-17
Posts 32816Portland, Oregon |
 (big hugggsssssss) Oh Kethry, I know how difficult of a job it must be to check so much luggage everyday forever but like some say "Don't quit your day job!" and indeed we do need people like that though I wish those people breaks of their own as well! (sigh) This is fabulous, sweet friend, we all love you so much! You have such a beautiful heart, sweet Kethry, thank you for sharing!  May love and light always shine upon you! Love, Noah Eaton "Underneath your clothes there's an endless story..." |
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Auguste
since 2000-02-16
Posts 3953By the sea |
And to top it off, what a BORING job they have! No, I wouldn't want that job for any amount of money. Too dull! Nice tribute, Kethry. The stars will shine when I am gone, |
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Bill Charles Member Patricius
since 2000-07-11
Posts 10619highways, & byways, for now |
Kethry - I could tell you stories about customs. Oh yes, I sure could... BC |
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NewEnglandlazurlu Member Rara Avis
since 2002-01-04
Posts 7470A Mountain Paradise |
Kethry, in this day and age, you couldn't pay me enough to do this job. Actually, in any day. Imagine, rummaging through people's dirty undies and socks? Ewwww! Marti Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. |
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