Framed,
no longer free.
You don’t have to think. I’m told.
You’re a consumer
Eat, Drink, Play and pursue of happiness. I’m told
The reality is here, on flat screen TV or in youtube
An American idol in one episode
You can have a makeover – thin, sexy, glitz
and have fame, in fifteen minutes. I’m told
Have a work ethics [drop other ethics], compete
Don’t be left behind [no child left behind], survivor as an alpha dog
Learn the “rules” [myriad hidden rules]! Climb the ladder [hit class ceiling]!
But, you’re too dumb to learn … I’m told
Savage inequalities[1], salvage unrealities[2] …
Don’t be such a moralist
be practical, make money, support the war. I’m told
Have common sense [by consent] as a patriot
Wave the flag and support the war, a ‘terror’ [terrible] war. I’m told
Listen, look, on alert … open eyes, ears [and armory]
Terror, terror, terror plots in the homeland
Secure our borders, barbarians at the gate … I’m told
In a land blinded by flashing images:
flesh tones, bling-bling, dreamy looks
death, pain, sufferings buried under, barbarians outside the fence
a failure, uncivilized, unpatriotic. I’m told
Flogged, fenced, framed.
Strange fruit[3] hanging from the American dream.
Vi Nhân
8-8-2007
[1] Jonathan Kozol, 1992, Savage Inequalities: Children in America Schools, (Harper Perennial, 1992)
[2] Paul C. Gorski, 2005, Salvage Unrealities: Uncovering Classism in Ruby Payne’s Framework, 2005
[3] A poem was originally written in 1939 by a poet by the name of Lewis Allan (real name Abel Meeropol). A frightening metaphor of how the African Americans were lynched (hanging off trees like fruits) by the whites due to racism and discrimination.
VietSoul:21 - Hồn Việt Thế Kỷ 21 