News

So the Matthew Shepard symposium is the week after next, and the FLOBOTS are coming down to perform at the university. For those of you who don't know who the FLOBOTS are, here's a link to their myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/flobots They do a lot of social injustice hip hop stuff, and they just got signed by a huge record label, so this could be one of their last performances not dominated by commerciality. Anyway, the high school is sending 3 kids to read an original poem about social injustice and that kind of stuff at the concert. And the the cathedral home is sending a person too. At least, that was the plan. But the cathedral home hasn't gotten back to the teacher in charge yet so she was looking around the student body for a fourth. I happened to have a poem that sort of fit the criteria, so i showed it to her and she picked me for the place filler. It's pretty awesome, but my poem definitely is not among my best work. So I'm going to improve it until I actually have to read it. it's posted on here, but I'm reposting it on this one, edited and improved. Any feedback and critique would be greatly appreciated. I hate the title, so any suggestions there would be great too. Thanks!

Ear Unplugs

Let thunder roar
let lightning flash
if you think you see
it's just the mask
don't get too close
you might get burned
just hide within
the lies you've learned
stay safe within illusion’s sphere
ignore the painful
truths you hear

we shelter in
the social norm
and mold ourselves
to popular form
we plug our ears
and hide our eyes
with wax made from
acceptable lies

though truth can hurt,
while it can scare
you know it's best,
though it can tear
to see the truth
within your soul
can shred your heart
or leave you whole

accept what's there
or make a change
it's up to you
how life's arranged
but only when
you know what's true
can you be free
to love what's you

so ditch the cowards
leave the mask
conforming throng
the hiding mass
rip out the ear plugs
and pull off the blinds
and you’ll be surprised
what you happen to find

though there might be pain
both in flesh and in heart
there’s the promise of better
just waiting to start
accept yourself
and be what's right
acceptance only in your sight
is something for which
all must fight

it's hard for anyone to be
the them they want the world to see
but if the masks and lies were gone
Maybe we could be free to see a new dawn