The world is a beautiful place to be born into
if you don’t mind happiness not always being very much fun
if you don’t mind a touch of hell
Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Civilized man has nothing to be proud of
this deathrow son of greed and opportunity
but he is told his sins will be forgiven
if he just confesses
confesses to the slavery
behind every wonder of the world
and slaughter in the construction of empires
confesses to gunpowder and the right to bear arms
confesses to dynamite funding peace prizes
confesses to cobblestones
paving the way for super highways
confesses to oil barons
and plastic beer can holders drowning dolphins
and starvation salting the fast food diet
and trash in Earth’s immediate orbit
But the civilized man in a clean cut suit
and minty fresh breath
whistles on his way to execution
no blindfold
Day 14 ~ CONFESS
Day 15 ~ SLAVE
Margaret is our host in The Imaginary Garden today, asking us for a view of The Streets.
I am afraid I went off the track here, but the poem did arise from a contemplation of the theme.
deathrow son of greed and opportunity. Whew... I like how you don't point fingers at any one group of people - we are all guilty!
ReplyDeletefrom the supposed confession to the whistling... it all is so biting and really quite the warning... Loved it!
Thank you, Margaret. Certainly, I am not one to point fingers, being an English South African, I was born guilty. Also guilt does not only belong to the present age, as we are the product of centuries of 'civilization'.
DeleteThis is absolutely chilling in its depiction of dystopia and condition of civilization. I love the quote by Ferlinghetti too. Spot on!
ReplyDeleteFerlinghetti has a keen eye for irony.
DeleteI like the Ferlinghetti quote, Kerry, and how it has taken you to a darker place than usual, with the ‘deathrow son of greed and opportunity’ and his confessions. But oh, the arrogance of that ‘civilized man in a clean cut suit’ with the ‘minty fresh breath’!
ReplyDeleteFerlinghetti reminds us to look at both sides of the coin - I find more inspiration on the dark side.
DeleteWhistling on the way to execution......so apt! Dynamite funding peace prizes and starvation behind fast good diets......such acute observations, Kerry.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sherry. I wish it had not been so easy to find examples. I could have filled several pages and even then stopped halfway to exhausting all possibilities.
DeleteYes.
ReplyDeleteHow I wish....
Nathaniel Rich in New York Times Magazine this week (I just resubscribed to the print Sunday paper) writes "It has become commonplace to observe that corporations behave like psychopaths. They are self-interested to the point of violence, possess a vibrant disregard for laws and social mores, have na indifference to the rights of others and fail to feel remorse." Our world, as you write, is bursting with them, viruses of disruption and profit. The psychopath respects only force -- which become our job to make sure our politicians serve the public and not their corporate masters. Anyway, brilliantly put.
ReplyDeleteAs always, i read your commentary with deep gratitude.
DeleteWe aren't governed by our elected, but governed by the greed of corporations. We all fail, pass the plastic, and drug our fantasies with happy endings. Your words hit like they should. People don't like reality checks, but this is a much needed one. Thank You
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, Susie. thank you for your insights too.
Delete"But the civilized man in a clean cut suit
ReplyDeleteand minty fresh breath
whistles on his way to execution
no blindfold"
Love this, Kerry! I have a couple of Ferlinghetti books. Love his writing.
f8ck man and our f8cking ways ~
ReplyDelete