The pen is mightier than the sword, but we’ll cut their fucking hands off.
the lips of hope
A team of U.S. poets is hard at work developing a style of poetry meant to crush the human spirit. This elite cadre, comprised of local, state and national laureates, meet under the aegis “Poetry for Aggressive Peace”, an extension of Tough Guy Poetry, and receives funding from the C.I.A.
President Bush said, after signing a bill to fund PAP,
“I believe that the only way to defeat terrorism is to crush the Islama-terrorist’s ability to believe in their “God”. Through the power of poetry, all hope will be abandoned and they will kill themselves rather than kill honest hard working Americans.”
The American public is warned that the following link contains an early version of just such a soul crushing poem:
newpoem.doc
Poetry is a vital force in Islam. Governments through out the Middle
East support poetry, and their leaders are active poets. Is this why
we are losing the war on terror? I can think of nothing else that
separates our cultures today, other than this administration’s lack of
intimacy with and support of poetry. Until recently.
Military brass have received intelligence from overseas operatives
that irrefutably describes the power of poetry in military/government
affairs. The power of poetry is undeniable. It stirs the emotions, it
speaks to the human soul. It clears the path to suicide if used
properly. Islamafascists have poetry on their side.
How can “Western” poetry be turned into a weapon? Therein lies the
dilemma for military strategists. Western poetry has long
sought to end wars. Only now do experts realize it went about this
the wrong way! it called for peace! With a lisp and a cooing! It
called for understanding assholes at an MFA level. It wanted to
explore complex human emotions through alliterating verbs. It wanted
to obfuscate quotidian impulse through analogy. Love was a cherry
blossom in the springtime. Death was like a dying light.
“Get mad at the light” was the poet’s advice. Not now. Not no more.
Not after 9-11. Poetry for Aggressive Peace doesn’t mince words. PAP
gives answers where other poetry leaves questions. It’s time to
rhyme dead with red again. But let’s switch to towel head. Or fuck
rhyming. Let’s kill em fast as possible. Free verse. Fully
automatic. But trained. True poets have control.
Military poetry says stay calm – don’t blink when you pull the
trigger. We want this guy dead. Military poetry wants you cold
blooded. it is raw power tempered, trained aggression that won’t stop
until the enemy is no longer living. Then there is a FINAL peace.
Western poetry is no longer for doves. It’s high time we grew some
balls, grew some talons, time to make sonnets swoop down and pull
flesh apart, time for villanelles that are packed with small sharp
shards in such concentration the smallest crack in a flak jacket
proves lethal.
Calling all American poets! Poetry is a craft, national defense needs
masters of the craft. Masters of warpoems! Poetry is in the trenches,
a little haiku settles in the bottom of every hollow point bullet,
whose meaning dawns on the victim in an illuminating way. There are
giant holes in his body. Shit! Now we see the light! It’s pouring
through where the brains used to be! Joyce spoke of moments of
epiphany. Poetry that is the whistle of falling payloads provides
this service. People wake up during a war. Their blood boils.
Poetry is made. The war will be won. Poetry will win it. AMERICAN
poetry.
I like the visual aspects of your depressing poem. The text in the middle even looks like a heart! Is the outside box pressing inward or is the heart swelling? Is that left to the reader’s interpretation? How obvious is it that I don’t know crap about poetry?
Comment by Lyle_S — September 7, 2006 @ 8:04 pm
I think you’re a natural Lyle. For me, goodness was surrounded by evil. I think they each hold their own ground.
Comment by jon — September 8, 2006 @ 8:58 pm