25
July
2007
July
2007
23rd Psalm Updated for the Bush Administration
Updating the 23rd Psalm
Bush is my shepherd: I dwell in want.
He maketh logs to be cut down in national forests.
He leadeth trucks into the still wilderness.
He restoreth my fears.
He leadeth me in the paths of international disgrace for ego’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of pollution and war, I will find no
exit,
for thou art in office.
Thy tax cuts for the rich and thy media control, they discomfort me.
Thou preparest an agenda of deception in the presence of thy religion.
Thou anointest my head with foreign oil.
My health insurance runneth out.
Surely megalomania and false patriotism shall follow me all the days of thy
term,
And my jobless child shall dwell in my basement forever.
(From a column in the Seattle PI ‘05)
Jim McGuigan
Do we really need more crap lefty poetry? Why not just post some Dylan lyrics or a few lines from the new Waters tune?
Do really need more of this crap authoritarian administration? Why not just make him king and get it over with?
CT:
I clicked on your recent comment to see what your argument would be to this weird post. And, though usually I just ignore this, these type of comments from you really irk me …
With your comment, you have not even made an attempt to dispute any of the points within the “crap lefty poetry”. (I do agree the style and approach is crap however, and that is just an issue of lameness.) But, how is your suggestions to post lyrics even relevant?
How can we ever understand your point of view if your tactics usually are to change the subject and write an irrelevant spin-out?
Why comment?
It leaves me wondering who you moonlight for?
Lori:
Having read a lot of good protest poetry, my comments here were directed more at style and diction. I didn’t say the content was crap. Great protest peotry has to have something of the universal in it. The theme of the above is transient and common, not beautiful. The writer is more interested in being clever–at which he or she fails–than poetry. Many of Dylan’s lyrics are well crafted. Dylan, in contrast to the above hack, often puts his outrage into narrative form so the listener is more likely to be drawn in. I also enjoy the poetry of Lawrence Ferlenghetti and Kenneth Patchen (more obscure, but he’ll move you) Roger Waters played some new protest song at his concert, he hates Bush too, but does so with slightly more clever language.
For example, From “Nation of Sheep” by Ferlinghetti
Dumb Beasts all!
Dumb sheep snowblind
in the white zero snow
that launders the sky
and falls and falls on the whitened grass
which the cows and pigs and people are eating
as if it were pure light
Even here in Middle America in Middle Earth
even though they know a snowjob when they see one
in the wilds of wisconsin
or wherever the hard rain falls
they go on swallowing the snow-white lies
following each other head-to-tail
to the dim plutonium shores…
See what I mean. Finally, I just think that the internet and Watchdog does great damage by circulating crap poetry; poetry deserves better. Also, its disgusting to see how some idiot mangles one of the most pleasing and comforting verses in any language for a low political purpose. Where’s the respect? Who will stand up for poetry?
CT:
1.) NO, I don’t see. Not everyone has the same intelect or preferences. You are assuming everyone is you again.
2.) The audience is not coming here for quality poetry.
3.) How could publishing Beat poetry persuade a vote from someone who cannot decode it??? …..?????????
4.) At minimum, the crap poetry speaks to a number of issues in which the current administration has been failing AND your beef is with the editorial decision to run it, BUT you are in agreement with the content (and that is what REALLY bothers you?).
5.) Your first comment did not illustrate a point.
Lori:
The Ferlinghetti poem requires little skill to decode: there is little figurative language and the poem offers interesting imagery and turn-of-phrase. I’m sure you know that when first published, a Madison radio station broadcast Ferlinghetti’s reading of the poem continuously, prompting a march to the capital and various vigils. Certainly, the poem has broad appeal and accessibility. The audience comes here, by the way, for quality. Even though I often disagree with Jim, you get a lot here you don’t in other places. I stand by my position that the “poem” is well below the usual quality of material that appears on this sight.
As for the original “poem”, it addresses so many issues–or tries to–that you can’t honestly expect me to debate it, could you? I can see almost nothing worthy of debating there; how does one debate an emotion?
Maybe is you could put your finger on something for me?
By the way, our discussion prompted me to dust off a few books I haven’t spent time with in too long. I’ll leave you with these lines from Patchen as a thank-you:
As we are so winderfully done with each other
We can walk into our separate sleep
On floors of music where the milkwhite cloak of childhood lies
Oh my love, my golden lark, my soft long doll
Your lips have splashed my dull house with print of flowers
My hands are crooked where they spilled over your dear curving
It is good to be weary from that brilliant work
It is being God to feel your breathing under me
A waterglass on the bureau fills with morning…
Don’t let anyone in to wake us
CT:
Good GOD stop .. this pretentious crap is nauseating me.
My point was that the post was seemingly rhetorical and provocative and to be taken lightly and brushed off. I don’t think it was it was directed at those that understand. So, I guess it was effective for you.
And, D U H to your lesson .. last I checked it’s 2007. You are referring to protesting a war and the Psalm is protest of our, currently, poor leadership and his contradictions and infractions against WE THE PEOPLE.
I THINK Watchdog is about quality political REPORTING & WATCHDOGGING, NOT POETRY. I also believe they COULD post better “Protest Poetry”, but CHOOSE not to.
And, YES-BINGO, debate the ISSUES - don’t turn it into an issue of the quality of the content?? Typical …
My finger: I have a hunch you want to change your mind and are aware of the cracks in your logic. I also would question if that is the real reason you frequent the blog. And then, when you encounter something that does not sync with your programming sequences you, in-turn, resist and react with a knee-jerk redirection of focus. Dissect the crap poem on your own. Figure out why you CHOOSE to convince yourself that what was expressed was “emotion” and not facts expressed with emotion. Then evaluate and try to dispute the facts therein.
Stop dusting and read new material, start with the Chompsky, The New Century Project/PNAC & the CONSTITUTION. Read - Don’t SKIM.
And last, there is crap in-every category-posted all over the web. Have you filed complaints?
Weird.
Lori:
You’re calling me pretentious but telling me to read Chumpski? Please, you have no idea what i’ve read or not.
I’ll try to be clear: The Psalm presented no facts, only the most vague opinions. It certainly didn’t crack my logic. And why do you have to say I’m “programmed”; that’s rather insulting.
You know well I’ll debate an issue when there is an issue to debate. Further, I don’t come to this sight out of a vague sense that I might be wrong about these things, but because I need to keep and open mind. You’ll note that when the authors have been right about the issues, I’ve agreed… etc. If you agree with everything here,on Watchdog, then why are you still reading?
I’ve tried to be nice, Lori. I thanked you and left a little verse. Why can’t you calm down? Not everything is political; even Jim knows that.
But once again, if you could offer any particular facet of your pet protest poem you’d like me to respond to, please let me know.
Same response - typical ….
I must be one of the dumb ones… what is the debate about? Bush running the country into the ground or poetry? Seems the original post was an article from 2005 in a Seattle paper. Sure it may be a little out of date and not the usual format here, but isn’t that what freedom of speech is all about?
There was NO debate, just questioning your original comment.
YOU tried to invoke a debate about my question/response to your comment and any other unrelated topic you thought I’d latch onto …
This site/blog is not about quality POETRY, this much I KNOW.
Lori-
This was my first comment here…. but i understand your comment is directed at Chris
DI:
Yes, oops, sorry. I just noticed that.