Friday, September 22, 2017

ONE MUST CHOOSE



Though I do not abhor symbols;
flags, statues, and such.
Costly dedications to pride and loss.

Yet I adore the statutes,
ideals of freedom, peace,
thoughtful ingenuity.

Shout in rage with the apostles
of theatrics babbling on stage
with every coded gaseous release

Stand strong
against the rapid descent
to mental imprisonment?

Patriot or Nationalist?


© M Durfee
9/22/17



In thinking of the past and one of the wisest men I ever knew G-Man, now riding off in Harley heaven Verse Escape has brought back the irrepressible 55. A complete thought stated in whatever form one desires using no more nor less than 55 words.

Care to try? Go ahead? And when you have done so please link your 55 to hers (Joy) so those of us with equal desires of clarity lasting at least as long as it takes to read 55 words can join you for a brief moment.

17 comments:

  1. Yes, we are living through a war of symbols in pawn, of lies, distortions, false faces and way too many 'apostles
    of theatrics babbling on stage..' in an all too gaseous way. The word Orwellian gets tossed around a lot, but I don't think even he could have written some of the current theater of the absurd dialogue. Thanks for this sharpened dagger of a 55, Mark, and for remembering the G-Man on these weekends that kick ass in a sadder way--up to us to make the best of it we can I guess.

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    1. I miss Galen Joy. But the 55's had grown from more of an exercise and like for his kick ass comments into a discipline of brevity. Thanks for hosting it!

      Politically I fairly certain we are on the same page.

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  2. Not sure I have 55 good words in me today. Gonna check out some of the others though

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  3. Neither, as I despise anything organised yet I'm very organised because I have to be in order makin a living in this society, meouwpoppa ... Hey U, friend Mark, I was born and raised in Christiania, Denmark ... and when I cum home from work, I drop my scrubs on da floor, including ma bra ... smiles ... and start living again right then and there ... smiles ... life is a bowl of cherries or just a cow pie or maybe an anthill, depending how you look at it.
    Love you much ... meouw ... cat.

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    1. Meowmomma we could talk about that bra dropping some more, I am sure there are at least a couple of distractions in that action alone!

      Oh I do live Cat, maybe not like anyone else but I do live and can hit the 10 ring with a handgun at 35 feet.

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  4. I love poetry that speaks truth, and this poem shouts it in a clear voice... Symbols are precious--we can't communicate without them, we might forget much if they weren't around--but these days things seem so confused, pretty words and pride (that camouflage something rotted) speak desperation and terror into the world... " Patriot or Nationalist?" indeed, and the answer makes all the difference.

    Thank you for these 55 words of wonder...

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    1. Maglay--when my hand turns to a metaphor I certainly do not want the intent lost to confusion. I do not trust them that walk around with the powder sugar trying to sweeten every deal. Those are the things we are choking ourselves on the false promises and knowing lies of them who "only have our best interests in mind"--FIE!

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  5. "Coded gaseous release" might be the most damned clever analogy for what passes for statesmanship in this day and age.

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    1. Thanks Rommy--I am back to a thought I had as a ten year old in 1964--of there is a ground zero then let the very center of it be on my head because who wants to live under what will be left. The words governments will save the warlocks and witches who are its practitioners--not them whose bones will make the soup.

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  6. Stand strong
    against the rapid descent
    to mental imprisonment?

    Yes, fight it! We are forced to breathe the pompous breath of politicians. Integrity lies buried beneath Koch cash and agendas.

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    1. Amen Susie--we all died a little bit even before Citizens United opened the floodgates.

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  7. I agree with Rommy's comment. And also with your 55 words. We are living in strange and dire times, nevertheless, I hope you have a kick ass weekend!

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    1. Than you Mary, politics have devolved to tripe rotting. History is going to remember then of the Boomer generations power with great happiness.

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  8. Brief but sharp. Like these 55, Mark. Will try to come up with some of my own.

    Been watching Ken Burns' Vietnam documentary and reflecting on the lessons of that war, and the politics and protest that accompanied it, against the time we live in now. Tough to see us repeating so many of the same mistakes, and inventing some new ones along the way.

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    1. Sarah I enlisted in '72 and was very much aware of the politics and protests of the day. After the murder of Medgar Evers, JFK and on and on and on--by the time I was 40 or so I could see our devolution into the dog eat dog society we became because of the lack of true leadership for an entire generation.

      I didn't watch the Burns documentary. Though not a combat veteran, I saw the way men and women in uniform were treated in the states. I still think of Hanoi Jane, and other reactionary influences that started the polarization that led us to today.

      I can watch WWII docs but Korea and Vietnam just hit a little too close for me, many of my friends fathers are Korean War vets and that was when I first saw PTSD with the eyes of a child.

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  9. Existence iS symbols. And whether representing the good or not, serve equally as a reminder or a warning, take heed of the wisdoms and errors from the past!

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So Walking Man I was thinking...