Guest poem sent in by Ivan Krstic
(Poem #1377) The Quiet World In an effort to get people to look into each other's eyes more, the government has decided to allot each person exactly one hundred and sixty-seven words, per day. When the phone rings, I put it to my ear without saying hello. In the restaurant I point at chicken noodle soup. I am adjusting well to the new way. Late at night, I call my long distance lover and proudly say I only used fifty-nine today. I saved the rest for you. When she doesn't respond, I know she's used up all her words so I slowly whisper I love you, thirty-two and a third times. After that, we just sit on the line and listen to each other breathe. |
In a time where the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) stifles academic research[1], the European Union is evaluating a combined medical-record-on-a-card system that would contain a microchip ultimately able to store any piece of personal information, and bars in Vancouver are networking to be able to keep track of patrons [2], two things are certain. One, Orwell is turning in his grave, and two - Richard Stallman's infamous story 'The Right to Read' is getting scarier by the day [3]. Though mixing politics and poetry is somewhat like mixing two extremely volatile chemicals, McDaniel, a contemporary poet with a rather interesting style, seems to do it effortlessly - and powerfully. Powerfully enough that questioning even the right to read wasn't appropriate to carry McDaniel's message. Instead, McDaniel went directly to the source of one of the greatest distinctions between humans and virtually any other species on the planet: the existence of an elaborate language that allows for arbitrary, not just survival-mandated, expression. McDaniel goes beyond just revoking the First Amendment - in his world, the government restricts how much people can say, a measure perhaps even more dreadful than dictating what can and cannot be said. The first two stanzas of the poem flow nicely, including the (obvious) autosuggestion of good adaptation to the new way; the next two stanzas carry the real impact of this poem. The image of two lovers on the phone, unable to speak, makes me cringe. So does the exactness of McDaniel's detail. Even though he's describing an overarching social condition, he still sneaks in very precise images - the chicken noodle soup, and the 32 1/3 times he says 'I love you' to his silent lover (167 words - 59 = 108 and -11 for the last two lines of the 3rd stanza = 97. Now 97 / 3 for 'I love you' gives the 32 1/3). Ultimately, the last two lines of the poem are a worthy conclusion - an idea of closure, of acceptance. The lovers know their situation is inescapable and beyond any capacity for repair - so they sit on the line, and let their breathing express the love which words may not. -Ivan On McDaniel: Brief bio, with sound clips of two of his poems: http://www.salon.com/audio/2000/10/05/mcdaniel/ Interview (by Jaime Wright): http://www.jaimewright.ws/int_mcdaniel2.html References [1] http://www.citi.umich.edu/u/provos/ or http://www.monkey.org/~dugsong/ - both are brilliant computer security researchers [2] [broken link] http://www.canada.com/vancouver/story.asp?id=936FC638-D1F5-4BA0-8E4B-1F4FEADEA16D [3] http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html
14 comments: ( or Leave a comment )
This is the opposite of 'talk is cheap.' If words were scarce, the
things we chose to say would be more significant than they are.
In a society of plenty, once we take care of the basics it's not the
things we have that make our lives meaningful, but the value that we
assign to those things (or feelings). We demonstrate how much we value
love by sacrificing somthing else of value to it - time, money... and in
this poem somthing which usually doesn't have value, words.
lovely. wonderful commentary. thanks ivan!
video rendition of the poem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI8vYCbgFac&feature=player_embedded
Cool blog. Check out my "free psychic reading" blog.
free psychic readings
Today we live in a modern society that only cares about having money. We try to avoid contact with other people (phones, pc's) We need to interact more with people left our feeling out and express all
I am SO glad i am not the only one who did not find this poem "so cute". Don't get me wrong, it is incredibly powerful, its not often that i can describe the ideas of a poem as terrifying!
Untuk Mengobati Kutil Kelamin Pada Pria dan Wanita Tanpa ini tidak hanya dapat dilakukan melalui pengobatan medis dengan cara operasi atau tapi juga sudah banyak pengobatan tradisional
kutil Terbaik Untuk Pria dengan mutu dan kualitas yang terjamin tanpa efek samping
good
Obat Alami Untuk Menghilang Kutil yang Ada di Kelamin
Obat Alami Untuk Menghilang Kutil
Obat Untuk Menghilang Kutil yang Ada di Kelamin
Obat Untuk Menghilangkan Kutil
Obat Ampuh Untuk Menghilang Kutil yang Ada di Kelamin
Obat Herbal Untuk Menghilang Kutil yang Ada di Kelamin
Obat Herbal Untuk Menghilangkan Kutil yang Ada di Kelamin
Obat Herbal Untuk Menghilang Kutil yang Ada di Kemaluan
Obat Herbal Untuk Menghilang Kutil
Pengobatan Herbal Untuk Menghilang Kutil yang Ada di Kelamin
Obat Tradisional Untuk Menghilang Kutil yang Ada di Kelamin
Obat Tradisional Untuk Menghilangkan Kutil yang Ada di Kelamin
Obat Tradisional Untuk Menghilangkan Kutil
Obat Untuk Menghilang Kutil yang Ada di Kelamin
Pengobatan Tradisional Untuk Menghilang Kutil yang Ada di Kelamin
Obat herbal kanker payudara
Obat herbal untuk sakit kanker payudara
Obat mujarab kanker payudara
Obat alami kanker payudara
Obat herbal dan ampuh kanker payudara
Jual Obat Manjur Buat Ambeien Parah
Jual Obat Manjur Buat Ambeien
Jual Obat Manjur untuk Ambeien Parah
Jual Obat Buat Ambeien Parah
Jual Obat yg Manjur Buat Ambeien Parah
Artikel Obat Manjur Buat Ambeien Parah
Artikel Obat Manjur Buat Ambeien
Artikel Obat Manjur Ambeien Parah
Obat Manjur Buat Ambeien Parah
Artikel Obat yang Manjur Buat Ambeien Parah
Resep Obat Manjur Buat Ambeien Parah
Resep Obat yang Manjur Buat Ambeien Parah
Resep Obat Manjur Buat Ambeien
Obat Manjur Buat Ambeien Parah
Resep Obat Manjur Buat Ambeien yang Parah
Kumpulan Obat Manjur Buat Ambeien Parah
Kumpulan Obat Manjur Buat Ambeien
Kumpulan Obat Buat Ambeien
Obat Manjur Buat Ambeien Parah
Kumpulan Obat yang Manjur Buat Ambeien Parah
Cari Obat Manjur Buat Ambeien Parah
Cari Obat Manjur Buat Ambeien
Obat Manjur Buat Ambeien Parah
Obat Manjur Buat Ambeien
Cari Obat yang Manjur Buat Ambeien Parah
This was a fantastic article. Really loved reading your we blog post. The information was very informative and helpful...
Obat Jengger Ayam Untuk Pria
Obat Jengger Ayam Untuk Wanita
Cara Mengobati Jengger Ayam Pada Wanita
Cara Mengobati Jengger Ayam Wanita
Gambar Penyakit Jengger Ayam Wanita
Gambar Obat Tradisional Jengger Ayam
Nama Obat Jengger Ayam
Obat Jengger Ayam Yang Murah di Apotek
Apakah Jengger Ayam Bisa Sembuh
Obat Manjur Untuk Jengger Ayam
Cara Ampuh Menghilangkan Jengger Ayam
Obat Jengger Ayam Herbal
Obat Jengger Ayam Alami
Obat Jengger Ayam Tradisional
Obat Jengger Ayam Alternatif
Obat Jengger Ayam di Apotek
Obat Jengger Ayam Untuk Wanita
Obat Jengger Ayam Untuk Pria
Obat Jengger Ayam Ibu Hamil
Obat Jengger Ayam Ibu Menyusui
Obat Jengger Ayam Tanpa Efek Samping
Obat Sipilis Jogja
obat sipilis de nature
Obat Sipilis Tradisional Daun Sirih
obat sipilis paling ampuh
obat sipilis di apotik
obat sipilis raja singa
Obat Sipilis Jogja
obat sipilis de nature
obat sipilis tradisional daun sirih
obat sipilis di apotik umum
obat sipilis dokter
obat sipilis generik
t sipilis yang paling ampuh
obat sipilis
Obat Sipilis Tradisional
Obat Sipilis Di Apotik
Obat Sipilis Alami
Obat Sipilis Paling Ampuh
Obat Sipilis Dengan Bayam Duri
Obat Sipilis Pada Pria
Obat Sipilis Raja Singa
Obat Sipilis Jogja
Obat Sipilis De Nature
Obat Sipilis Di Jual Di Apotik
Obat Sipilis Di Apotik Terdekat
Obat Sipilis Di Apotik Kimia Farma
Obat Sipilis Di Apotik Resep Dokter
Obat Sipilis Di Kimia Farma
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
obat kanker
obat kanker payudara alami
obat kanker paru paru
obat kanker darah alami
obat kanker rahim serviks mulut rahim
obat kanker
obat payudara bengkak
obat payudara bengkak karena menyapih
obat kanker paru paru
obat kanker darah
obat kanker rahim
obat kanker darah leukimia
obat kanker otak
obat kanker super
obat tumor otak
Gantungan kunci
pesan gantungan kunci akrilik
pesan gantungan kunci murah
bikin gantungan kunci murah
bikin gantungan kunci akrilik
order gantungan kunci murah
order gantungan kunci akrilik
Gantungan kunci
pesan gantungan kunci akrilik
pesan gantungan kunci murah
bikin gantungan kunci murah
bikin gantungan kunci akrilik
order gantungan kunci murah
order gantungan kunci akrilik
Gantungan kunci
pesan gantungan kunci akrilik
pesan gantungan kunci murah
bikin gantungan kunci murah
bikin gantungan kunci akrilik
order gantungan kunci murah
order gantungan kunci akrilik
Gantungan kunci
pesan gantungan kunci akrilik
pesan gantungan kunci murah
bikin gantungan kunci murah
bikin gantungan kunci akrilik
order gantungan kunci murah
order gantungan kunci akrilik
Gantungan kunci
pesan gantungan kunci akrilik
pesan gantungan kunci murah
Post a Comment