I see when censorship
from jacobian bearded gaffers
wielding billhook reason
and Kalashnikov persuasion
can ablate the satire to
a blackout ebony of robed attire
and whispered words of cowardice.
When only in ellipsises
we’re given hints of … and …
Using last weeks words from #lqw seemed very apt. The image is my own idea, and merge the ellipsis mark of self-censorship with the threat of a gunsight.
Linked to lqw wordle
and to Real Toad’s Tuesday platfrom
—
January 12, 2014
That’s a mouthful…
Indeed.
I’m very curious about this lqw wordle. It looks like a great brain stretcher
Actually it’s an extension to the twitter wordgame #lqw that I run. A new word every day. The wordle is simply one that gives all the words for the week.
Oh I understand. I am looking over the twitter prompts now. Thank you.
Not easy words, but you worked them well and in a most timely topic. I didn’t know you did wordle prompts!
It’s really a twitter word game I took over 2 years ago.. and I wanted to do a little bit more on them.
This is a very thought-provking response to the freedom of speech question. I especially like your cartoon and the explanation in terms of self-censorship. I believe in the power of satire, the freedom of artistic expression but I do not condone lampooning and mockery of creeds and cultures not my own. There is a fine balance of conscience to be maintained.
I fully agree on that.. to be courteous is one thing, but to be scared another …
I love your use “of… and…” even if I truly despise what they represent in our society. Words should never be silenced or hidden.
It seems very likely, that from today on, every time I type an ellipsis, I will think of this poem. 😀
Hey Bjorn– you know my views here too. One point re poem is that i would so prefer required words were not in italics! I know this is often done for those prompts! But I am concerned that it detracts from the reading experience. Well done. K.
Ps — in terms of substance — I kind of think one has to allow the lampooning and hateful if one is to have freedom– one can descry it and condemn it but I think trying to stop it puts one in the same boat. Where it seems hardest for me to draw the limits is actually in the area of pornography, where enactment is not so clearly speech in my mind, but more on that another time.– k.
I agree. we have to allow it all, but my own choice is still to avoid it. Building bridges is normally better…
i love pieces like this that really make one think..
This is a really good thought provoking poem, and I would love to read some more in the future.
Important topic to delve into, Bjorn and the image and explanation are point right-on as well. Great work! 🙂
a neat shot that boken pencil to “ablate the satire to”
much love…
Just reading this poem is a brain-stretcher, Bjorn. Well done! The image is striking.
A very timely and unsettling “pen-mightier-than-sword” take on current events that leaves the reader deciphering on many levels. Very good.
Haaaa….that was awesome. no wait…you’re not talking about me are you? That was fun and a tribute in my head to my overuse of elipses.
Fantastic image and what a brilliant use of a word list.
Love “Kalashnikov persuasion” – partially because it’s fun to say out loud, but also because it tied it all together in my mind. That was the phrase that made it all make sense for me.
To cave to censorship is very cowardly. Yet we do it. I admit to a love of ellipses but never thought of them as self-censorship. Verily interesting!