Nobody Says Much Anymore
Nobody says much
Anymore, it seems
That humankind has
Lost the capacity
For rational speech,
Or maybe it’s been
Programmed out
Of the species by
Commercial interests
Bent on dominating
The language commons
For profit and power.
It used to be that people
Took a joy in jabbering away
Like jay birds in a tree, saying
Whatever comes into their heads.
Now it seems they have nothing
To say beyond regurgitating
What they say on TV last night.
Around the globe languages
Are dying, cultures are falling
Extinct, meaning and content
Are disappearing over the brink.
The world grows evermore
Lonely, as human folk lose
The ability to communicate.
Renegades now will insist
On the language of dreams
Tarkovsky becomes our
Patron saint, poets are our
Last doors of perception,
But they are forgotten,
Essentially extinct.
A few lone voices
Sputtering and uttering
Running the danger
Of being unique.
Liberation warriors
In the time of zombie
Culture, need only cry out.
But are we heard by the herd?
Or will the fascists come to
Stomp our souls and destroy
Our violins and flutes.
We are the ancient ones,
Painting caves, carving
Icons, our meaning is lost
More is known about some
Neolithic culture than is
Documented about the
Truths that we’ve lived
In these past four decades.
Our truths are inconvenient
Our words do not promote
Profit, so like spring rains
On desert sands, we fade
Into the dust, amid the
Lust and carnage of
Wars and distrust.
All we have is our voices.
Who will choose to speak
Who has the heart to listen?
-- Jack Oakes, 4/2/06 |
