July 10, 2011

Sorry this month's post was delayed. On the way I was cut off by a herd of playing interlopes.

Here is a poem and its illustration which I had started a few years ago. The poem is based on actual events to which I was witness, but I gave it a title which ties it to some well-known historical events and links it to the song The Battle Hymn of the Republic. I dropped both poem and illustration and let them lie fallow for many months. I returned to both these past few weeks. They were started at the same time and finished together today.

I would like to remind readers that pictures, like poems are metaphorical. At this event there actually was no punching (sorta*).
*A slang word with a connotation of "metaphorical."

I hope everyone had a jubilant 4th of July.

-------Roberta


Roberta SchulbergGoro
MORALISTICS - THE SONG OF THE JUBILANT BALLADEER

"I tend to be moralistic.
"My mouthings annoy
"As if I hadn't the right to speak."
"You think you've earned the right to speak?"
"I'm not sure I've earned the right, but I know I've got it."
"A right to as-you-will, tendentious dogmatic ranting?"
"Sure."
"And you consider your provocations moral?"
"Yeah."

"Curmudgeon, teaching for teaching, we'll even the score.
"We'll hand you our tutelage and pin on you your shame.
"We'll teach you how such "free" speech feels.
"Our lessons can shut you up."
"Now, Do you still persist in self-opinionated prattle, off-the-cuff, do-it-yourself moralistics?"
"Yeah."
"Eccentric spates, make-shift, biased, extemporaneous didactics?"
"Sure."

"Scold, think about it. Your conscience. Are you good?"
"I'm moral. But not good.
"For example, I went for days not washing the kitchen floor.
"My wages don't swell me with pride in welcome partaking with others.
"I don't run for the phone, I let the answer machine to do it
"An obvious lack of personal attention inconveniencing the caller.
"I haven't chosen a nursing profession or other such public service,
"So I know I'm not endearingly good."
"Still claiming to be moral?"
"Sure."
"Advising ideosyncratic moralistics?"
"Yeah."

"Think you're better than others?"
"No more than anyone else."
"We know how to cut you down until you know you're worse."
"Now do you feel better?"
"No, I'm feeling worse."
"Still challenging doctrines more daunting?
"Sure."
"Prating moralistics?"
"Yeah."

"You're not humble."
"Yes, I know."
"We'll beat you 'til you're humble and recognize your place;
"Until you're broken and brought to the edge of the grave."
"See that place?"
"My eyes are open."
"Still spouting contrived moralistics?"
"Sure."
Self-willful speech is moral?"
"Yeah."

"Continuing public diatribes?"
"Silencing splits tribes, not speech.
"More sustaining than false harmony is contest in dispute.
"Those who silence opinion despise their world
"And their world love THEM it don't!"
"Love THEM 'it don't' and your moral?"
"Sure."
"Not love THEM, who shepherd the world?"
"Yeah, but neither are they silenced.
"It's those not enfolded in love who force silence, denying reciprocant ear.
"Yeah. It's speech heard that girds reciprocant ears."

