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JAM Dec 2019
“[At the moment, the human world is a corrupt force.] Greed has poisoned [human lives], has barricaded the world with hate, and has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical. Our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and [understand] too little.

However [some] continue, indefatigably, to reach out. There’s just no way [a few of us] can single-handedly save the world or, perhaps, even make a perceptible difference – but how ashamed [those few] would be to let a day pass without making one more effort.

[Like water, we can be] the highest good. Water gives life to the ten thousand things, and [does not fear its courses]. It flows in places humans reject and so [creates unity]. [It is an element that] can take any form. [Water] can drift without effort one moment, then pound down in a torrent the very next [moment, as a single force]. [And yes, It is true that the efforts of those few] amount to no more than one drop in a limitless ocean. Yet what is any ocean, but a multitude of drops?

[Now just] Imagine a world in which every single person on the planet has free access to the sum of all human [unity]. In dwelling, [we could] be close to the land. In meditation, [we could] go deep in the heart. In dealing with others, [we could] be gentle and kind. In speech, [we could] be true. In ruling, [we could] be just. In business, [we could] be competent. In action, [we would be sure to] watch the timing and the season. We may even have no reason to fight each other, and thus no reason to blame each other.

In [our] hands, my fellow [droplets], will rest the final success or failure of our course. Since [civilization began], each of our generations has been summoned to give testimony to [the greatness of life.] We’ve all wanted to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other’s happiness – not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful.

Now the trumpet summons us again—not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need; not as a call to battle, though embattled we are—but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, “rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation”—a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself.

In the process of [this struggle], we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct [this struggle] on the high plains of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our [honest efforts] to degenerate into [criminal high jinks]. We must rise to the majestic heights of meeting [corrupt] force with [pure] force, [or suffer the failure of our efforts under an inequitable and desperate silence.]”
SOURCES, in order:
Charlie Chaplin, The Great Dictator’s Speech
Isaac Asimov
Tao Te Ching, Chapter 8 (from Giu Fu Feng’s sparkling translation)
Spike Lee, Cowboy Beebop
David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas
Tao Te Ching, Chapter 8 (from Giu Fu Feng’s sparkling translation)
Jimmy Wales, Founder of Wikipedia
JFK, Inaugural Address
Charlie Chaplin, The Great Dictator’s Speech
JFK, Inaugural address
Martin Luther King, Jr’s I Have a Dream Speech
Big Virge Dec 2019
Censor Him CENSOR HIM … !!!!
  
He's Sounding Like A TERRORIST … !!!!!
  
"Why, because I use my mind,
when writing rhymes and poetry scripts ?"
  
Has The World Now Come To THIS … ?!!!?
Or … Is This How It's ALWAYS BEEN … !!?!!
  
By This I Mean … Invisible Teams Who Now Walk Streets …
And YES You've Guessed ... Are The CENSORSHIP Police … !!!
  
"Excuse me sir, you can't do that !"
  
"Listen man, you need to relax !
You can't censor me, for having a crap !"
  
"Keep quiet sir, don't answer back !
What's that resting on your lap ?"
  
"You told me not to answer back ?
So now my lips are gonna stay zipped !
Eh, What are you doing with my **** ?
I'm not that way, keep your hands in your pockets !"
  
"Put your hands behind your back !
We're arresting you, and that is that !"
  
"Why, because you didn't get a lick !"
  
"For being homophobic, and for too much lip !"
  
So What's The Role of … " Censorship " … ?
  
Is it MIND CONTROL To MOULD LOST Souls … ?
The Truth Is Folks ... I Just DON'T KNOW … !?!
  
That's Why My Quotes Now Employ JOKES … !!!!!!!
  
NOT TO OFFEND But To Suggest ...
Our Freedom Fight May NEVER End … !?!
  
"We've heard about you, aren't you, Big Virge ?
The words you use, we've long observed,
and now young man, are gonna be curbed !"
  
"Don't be absurd, they're only words !"
  
"Oh, haven't you heard ?
We can confirm, due to your scripts,
you're suspected of being a terrorist !
You speak on that, and speak on, this,
and, have a lot of hair, so, must be a Muslim !"
  
"So, you must be, New Age Racists !
Don't you people, ever quit !!!
I may be black, but, trust me man !
I want unity, for all humans !"
  
"Sorry son, we've CENSORED that !"  
  
"I'm saying though man,
now you sound like Uncle Sam,
or, Uncle George, who's now adored ?
but, just before I wage that war,
How far can I go, Guantanamo ?
Now, hold on bro, that was just a joke !
OH NO OH NO, i'm such a dope !"
  
"Here you go sir !
Ball, chain and rope, bend over sir !"
  
"But, I don't want soap !"
  
"You'll do as you're told, or pay a toll !"
  
"PLEASE DON'T OH NO !
Should of kept my quotes, stuck in my throat !"
  
"Open up son, and now lick this !"
  
"The only things I lick are ******* and ***** !
Oh, me and my lips, need to keep them zipped,
before I face, more censorship !"
  
"Excuse me Virge, that's not quite it !
They now want to censor, how you think !"
  
"You're NOT SERIOUS, that's ridiculous !
Has it come to this, I need a drink !"
  
DON'T THINK About THAT !!!
DON'T THINK About THIS !!!
From Now On Kids …
DON'T THINK Or Write Scripts !!!
  
No Wonder They've Been Clone Testing … ???
Out There In The …. " OUTER RIM " …. !!!!!
  
Well This AIN'T … " Star Wars " … !!!
And That's For SURE … !!!
  
ACTUALLY It Might Just Be … ?
The EMPIRE's Running The … " Poetry Scene " … !!!
  
Darkness Shrouds … " Freedom of Speech " … !!!
  
"I cannot face my destiny !"
  
"Virge, my son, you are The One !
You must face those, censoring your stuff !"
  
"But, Yoda please, what do you mean ?"
  
"Those who keep, your prose unseen !"
  
"But they ignore me, almost every week
and did this when, they had the attention of the BBC !"
  
"Your time will come !
You cannot run from poetry !
because it is, Your DESTINY !"
  
"How can this be when being FREE,
is a fallacy, and nothing more than a pipe dream !"
  
Well …
  
Those Before Me Have Faced These Tests …
And Tried Their Best ... Time And AGAIN … !!!!!
  
I Hope Like Them I've Been God Blessed …  
Because This Time Round What NOW Surrounds ...
May Well PRESENT … Humanity's END ... !!!!!!
  
Once Again We Fight For Civil Rights … ?!?
And FREEDOM To SPEAK On ... Whatever WE LIKE … !!!
  
EVEN AT An ... " OPEN Mic " … ?!?

Somehow That ... Does NOT Seem Right … ?
  
Well TRUST In This ... I'll NEVER QUIT …
Even If ... My Lips Are ZIPPED … !!!!!
  
I'll Use My Pen And Write Poems …
And Use My Scripts …
  
To ... FIGHT AGAINST ...
  
... " CENSORSHIP  " … !!!!!
I never believed in censorship, and now I believe in the right to freedom of speech. more than I ever did !
Kapu Dec 2019
-3-
I did not have a name,
[Shapeless]
I was ephemeral at moments
but I was loved for existing,
regardless of the pain and the torments.
No justification needed,
no explanations necessary.
"Just you and I baby"
"We'll get through this together"
I thought I heard,
but what were words,
and what was meaning?

-5-
When I was inside her,
I had no worries or thoughts.
Ignorance was truly bliss,
no tumultuous introspections necessary.
I had no doubts,
no need for identity.
I was one with time
[moving]
Little did she know me.
Well, as much as she knew herself.

-7-
Less space to swim,
but your soothing voice became more than a dream.
Who were you?
Aside from everything to me.
Without me, you'd be fine.
But mother, you were my source of life.
I sank.

-9-
And right before my clock marked nine,
yours marked ten.
I came to the world.
But the world wasn't yet a possibility.
All I knew is that I was born
and that I had been living
inside my mom.

-1-
"I'm bleeding, I am not pregnant after all"
I moved in without permission, inside my mother. It is true that she did not choose it, but was it vandalism?
I exist because she thought of me as existent. That mere fact was enough for her to give me a place to stay, with food, music, affection and uninterested care.
Nowadays, mothers like mine fly.
Max Neumann Dec 2019
your warm heart
is the pulse of my life

the sweetest speech is when
i speak to you anna

my salvation
my destiny

the sweetest blood is
your blood anna

your warm heart
is the pulse of my life

the pulse of my life
is your warm heart

my savior
my salvation

the pulse of our lifes
are our hearts

travel with me
i will take you away

forever anna
anna forever

a: absolute love
n: neverlanddreams
n: no other woman
a: absolute love

your name is a
frame

your reflection a
painting

anna+tizzop
tizzop+anna

and this white page has become a bole
our lovenames are engraved in wood

and wood never sinks in water
nothing more to add, baby
Max Neumann Nov 2019
write the beginning of a
sentence in capital letters

mind the dots please.
you mustn't forget to finish a
sentence properly as
well as writing in accordance to
the given guidelines of
our faculty and its members
esteemed personalities who would never
forget a dot.

can you sense how i
talk and how i
take care
of my writing?
B Oct 2019
There is veracity in our vernacular,
Rhythm in our rhetorics,
This power that I speak of,
Lies only with the poets.
For all of you lovely people, the world needs more of you!
emru Oct 2019
decline the call,
delete the e-mail,
ignore the speech,
ignore the message,
focus
focus on yourself and yourself only
Steve Page Aug 2019
there's said to be some merit in me
and there's something to be said about mine
but please never let it be taught
and please never have it headlined
that I've ever done any of this
but with measured and deliberate thought
or time consuming and considered design
none of this comes easy
little of this goes smooth
we all think ourselves imposters
but some of us have pushed through
so whatever doubts you're having
however steep the climb
take the chances that you're offered
and give yourself some time.
Wellspring Aug 2019
I find that our language
Is nothing but screams.
Screams that trigger a deep urge,
Somewhere inside us,
To scream back.
And so our speech becomes
A twisted language of pain,
Understood only by those
Who bear the agonising weight of life.
I actually included lines similar to these in a personification essay that I did. 'Twas fun to write.
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