RAPOETICS REPRINT: Graffiti #jesuischarlie by Christopher J. Jarmick

 

 

GRAFFITI #jesuischarlie

 

“What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist.”
Salman Rushdie

“A choir is made up of many voices, including yours and mine. If one by one all go silent then all that will be left are the soloists. Don’t let a loud few determine the nature of the sound. It makes for poor harmony and diminishes the song.”
Vera Nazarian

 

1.

Knock, knock.

Who’s there?

Opposable thumbs.

Opposable thumbs who?

 

2.

Life is temporary,

knock, knock jokes are forever.

 

3.

Say it now:

tomorrow may be too late.

 

4.

Bully protection: sense of humor.

A spoonful of wit makes the truth go down.

 

5.

SAVAGE RECIPE

Choose two or more:
Poverty
Illiteracy
Broken Home

Abuse Victim

Add:

an overflowing cup of desperation

Mix vigorously with:

twisted ideology

Serve with

Guns and/or explosives.

 

6.

A Poet without a pen,
a blindfolded Cartoonist,
a politician with gag in mouth,
and a musician with hands and feet tied up

walk into a bar . . .

 

7.

A star burns brightest

as it dies.

What burns in the fire
changes into smoke and ash

remembered; not lost.

With every ending

a new story begins

 

8.

At last we agree;
in tragedy, united.

We share loss.

 

9.

Blank pages,
deadlines missed;

graves await.

 

10.

Men miscast as Gods
always fail when they

forget love.

 

11.

Violence
proves only
we must continue
fear less
and
take nothing

for granted.

 

12.

Knock, knock.

Who’s there?

Orange.

 

Copyright © 2015 by Christopher J. Jarmick

#jesuischarlie “I am Charlie”

The cowardly, tragic attack on the French Charlie Hebdo on January 7th, 2015 is reflected in this write (completed January 9th). Simply expressing outrage or condolences is merely a place to begin. May the spirits and passions of those slain be embraced and carried forward.

Christopher J. Jarmick is a Northwest writer and poetry activist who has hosted and organized regularly scheduled readings, opening mic in the Seattle area for 15 years. His next collection of poetry NOT ALOUD is due out in May of 2015. His blog is PoetryIsEverything (google it).

 

 

 

 

 

 

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