Photo (Google images): Artist Ai Weiwei of China, who is a noted dissident, has been arrested several times, and has claimed that he was assaulted by police in 2009, and again in 2010. See The Guardian There are many dissidents throughout the world, and throughout history who have stood for human rights, they often pay with their lives.
Your Real Words
As soon as it begins
there is no possibility of speaking,
your words are no longer your words,
they are artfully abstracted to fit
predestined verdicts,
skilfully distorted for truth,
so that nothing is real
and no one believes you.
Sometimes doubt colonises your mind,
but not your heart,
the place where you stand true,
in spite of your brokenness
and exhaustion,
retrieving your real words for all to see,
the butterfly effect that will
waft away empires of finite minds.
©Paul Vincent Cannon
Paul,
pvcann.com
parallax 
sadly every country is guilty of breaching human rights issues but we need dissidents to keep it at the fore …
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes, it’s prevalent in community groups, everywhere
LikeLiked by 1 person
The closing lines say it all, Paul.
the butterfly effect that will
waft away empires of finite minds.” The trigger for a revolution.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Everywhere I hope and pray, leaders have lost their integrity and have no ethics, in my life I have seen hope, and then I have seen it snatched away in favour of expedient reactivity and greed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes its true unfortunately.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They don’t realize that every time they beat AiWeiWei down or destroy one of his studios he becomes stronger. Your poetry speaks to exactly that. So well written.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you so much. Yes he is, I think, a model of resilience.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Many peaceful dissidents are the ones with real courage. The U.S. government hated John Lennon and it is so sad that he died so young, as he did.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Sadly so Tom, and I grieve the loss of Lennon, he and Harrison had a social conscience, and Lennon spoke it so well, miss him too.
LikeLike
Absolutely brilliant! Loved it!❤
LikeLiked by 2 people
Very kind, thank you so much for such a lovely comment.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely beautiful
LikeLiked by 2 people
Very kind, thank you Ana
LikeLiked by 1 person
😘
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is a powerful poem, Paul. And the political climate is only getting worse with China fixing to implement its social credit system. Well, history has shown that even under rigid totalitarian governments, artists voicing dissent are not silenced but the pressure they’re under serves as impetus to be even more creative, more revolutionary.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you so much Amaya, appreciate your reflection too, and yes, hopefully none of us will succumb, but especially those on the front lines of despotism. I can see how they arrived at the social credit system, a sort of new prison or house arrest, very powerful, but for me, and insidious evil in the hands of elites. We face many such challenges to freedom now.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mr. Liu Xiaoban also kept fighting in the Nation for his own country.
Wealthy with one person and the other is All slaves is the Nation,it’s Wrong.
The Nation is established only with the Citizens.
People who wish to gain power and money keep duping all human-being.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Very much agree Nasuko
LikeLiked by 1 person
We live in frightening times when abuse of power is applauded as strength and leadership. Surely as people, we are better than this. At least, my prayer is that we are.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So agree – we are much better.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Another powerful poem – well said
>
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you
LikeLike
Reblogged this on Success Inspirers' World and commented:
Beautiful poem.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very kind, thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person