dVerse Poets – Open Link Night
Image: by Jonathan Burton and found at brainpickings.org
“In the time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” George Orwell.
A Horror Coming down
Mobsters, junkies and clowns,
Orwell’s horror
a horror coming round,
soon we’ll be in the ground,
soon we’ll be in the ground,
write nothing,
think nothing,
don’t shake the tree,
just standin’ in my yard,
my business,
mine for me,
them don’t like it
no, they don’t want it,
no one’s for free,
my mind’s banged up
in a dead wing,
but they wanna own it,
they wanna write it,
the wanna tell me what to think,
just don’t think, no
just don’t think,
don’t speak at all,
it’s killing me man,
the shoot me down,
they shoot you down,
killer’s running round
all for peace,
some plastic peace,
righteous facade,
a horror coming down,
a horror coming down.
©Paul Vincent Cannon
Paul, pvcann.com
Note 1: The poem carries a rap influence, and was inspired by ‘1984’, Edward Snowden’s revelations, and the plight of Drill Rap artists in the UK, Australia and the US where censorship has been used as a weapon to limit and control the artistic expression of Drill Rap as a genre. Yet another sickening moral panic (accusations of organised crime, criminality, drug use, murder, and threats – obviously the authorities don’t read or live in poverty areas, or check the facts) being used against writers, and Australian and British police using power to censor and restrict artistic expression.
Note 2: in the poem the word wing = prison.
Dark, but wonderfully penned. ❤
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Thank you Penny for your encouraging words.
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Well written, Paul. The tempo matches the message.
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Thank you so much VJ
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Welcome!
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Nice description: “plastic peace”
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Thank you Frank, yes, and I’ve yet to see a real one.
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That phrase got my attention as well.
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Thanks Liz
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Well said.
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Thank you Cheryl
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yes, thanks for drawing attention to this Paul … I couldn’t believe it when I read about this total abuse of power.
Artists should be rapping about the world they see and sounds like the police have too little to do cancelling rap artists concerts and throwing them in goal on trumped up charges [ooh that adds power to the old saying!] They increased their powers and boosted their numbers and now carrying out personal crusades instead of doing their job …. where does it stop!
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It doesn’t stop, govt is now entrapped in “security” and “risk” fear policy making.
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and fear gives the “so-called” law enforcers more power with NO accountability … like the guy who was tried and imprisoned privately, sounds like a whistle blower and they don’t want attention drawn to that!
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So convenient.
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very convenient for them to taunt anyone they don’t like …
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Smug bastards the lot of them
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for me it’s just totally wrong that they can ruin people’s lives at will, with no rhyme or reason except their own personal bigotry …
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Yes, over here an applicant was removed from a list because of a devious cobbling of social media reportage.
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Have I missed more dreadful news? It’s getting too much for me.
Keep rapping, Paul.
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Nothing worse than the Daily Effluent, just a couple of dispiriting conversations this past week 🙁
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😦
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Very effectively poem. It gives the sense that we’ve passed Orwellian dystopian and are heading straight to apocalyptic.
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Has that feeling, ostrich behaviour is in.
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Whenever censorship talks of morality I fear that the true intention is about something entirely differently
Makes me think about “entarte kunst”
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Good point Bjorn, their disdain fro art in general and jazz in particular among the musical genres was frightening. I’m watching Australia continue its moralising agenda, notably our penchant for moral panics, and living in echo chambers. Ordinarily it wouldn’t matter if we were just talking generally about policy etc. but this about freedom and identity stuff. Subterfuge.
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I love it. Very firm and relentlessly. As always, great work! 🙂
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Thank you for sharing those encouraging words Michy. 🙂
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I love this poem and would love to hear it read in that rap style a bit like “slam poetry” – very powerful and words needing to be said
>
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Good point I shall practice it a bit, might make a great audio.
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Pingback: A Horror Coming Down – a poem by Paul Vincent Cannon — parallax – Festival for HORROR
Many thanks
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