You built a castle
Where you hold literature hostage.
You call your castle
Canon.
Gatekeepers
Guard your big iron gate,
Brandishing
Weapons of exclusion.
Your accomplices,
The moguls
Who publish the words.
The critics,
Those self appointed
Judges of worthy literature
And the translators,
All are on hand
To give you helping hand
In your unholy task of exclusion.
We have gathered
On this new square,
Not to invade your castle,
Not to beg to enter your castle.
We have gathered
To build alternative canon
With no wall and no gate,
With no gatekeepers.
Alternative canon
Where none will be denied entry.
We have gathered
To build alternative canon
Where the consumers of literature
Will be the judges of worthy literature.
Sep 21, 2025
Sep 21, 2025 at 8:14 AM UTC
You built a castle
Where you hold literature hostage.
You call your castle
Canon.
Gatekeepers
Guard your big iron gate,
Brandishing
Weapons of exclusion.
Your accomplices,
The moguls
Who publish the words.
The critics,
Those self appointed
Judges of worthy literature
And the translators,
All are on hand
To give you helping hand
In your unholy task of exclusion.
We have gathered
On this new square,
Not to invade your castle,
Not to beg to enter your castle.
We have gathered
To build alternative canon
With no wall and no gate,
With no gatekeepers.
Alternative canon
Where none will be denied entry.
We have gathered
To build alternative canon
Where the consumers of literature
Will be the judges of worthy literature.
This poem is about canon and alternative canon.
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