That Oxymoron, Conventional Wisdom
(After Bob Dylan’s "And The Times They Are A-Changing" and Czeslaw Milosz’ "The Captive Mind")

 

This brain of a mouth assumes once again
A lesser intelligence in others’ silences
(Absences to his authority in a territory
Or property). Such hunger for correctness!
Such thirst for respect! A greed for power

Whence a history of same achieved nothing
But more of the same, wreaking havoc—
Up to today—on the ideals of democracy:
Emphasis on "freedom to speak" over "duty
To hear others’ speech," such hatred defeats

Thinking, mouth against brain, assuring
One only, once again—his civic intelligence
Against a history of frustrations, from living
A common life reading opinion columns
With their lay of 2nd-hand ideas & polls.

 

 

 

 

Copyright © 2004 Vicente-Ignacio Soria de Veyra. All rights reserved. Readers are welcome to view, save, file and print out single copies of this webpage for their personal use. No reproduction, display, performance, multiple copy, transmission, or distribution of the work herein, or any excerpt, adaptation, abridgment or translation of same, may be made without written permission from the author. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this work will be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

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