Monday, January 08, 2007

Poetry in motion

"In Saudi Arabia, poems eulogizing Mr. Hussein have been passed around on cellphones and in e-mail messages.
'Prepare the gun that will avenge Saddam,' a poem published in a Saudi newspaper warned. 'The criminal who signed the execution order without valid reason cheated us on our celebration day. How beautiful it will be when the bullet goes through the heart of him who betrayed Arabism.' " [1]

How come my Saddam Hussein poem doesn't get passed around on cellphones and e-mails? (see The Life and Death of Saddam Hussein.) I mean, their poem doesn't even rhyme. And look how violent. It's not even their country and they want to start killing people.

Another poetic utterance. This one from Lebanon.

" 'God damn America and its spies,' a banner across one major Beirut thoroughfare read. 'Our condolences to the nation for the assassination of Saddam, and victory to the Iraqi resistance.' " [1]

OK, so it's not a poem, but it's pretty poetic. It's possibly playing on Saddam's name. ("God damn" "Sad dam.") I did that in my poem, too. ("sad-mad" "sad dam.") Their's is more powerful though. "God damn," "damn you," "fucking damn you." Pretty powerful. I just have "sad-mad," "mad-sad," "mad-sad-glad-bad." Pretty weak.

I think the Beirut utterance was also playing on "God bless America," but said "God damn America" instead.

I had an anti-American line, too. "Attacked Iran and took the blame." It's an allusion to the disastrous 8-year Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s where America supported Iraq militarily. (And Iran, too, by the way.) But it's too oblique. Nobody got it. And those that did just shrugged their shoulders and went "eh."

But I know what to do now. In future Saddam Hussein poems, no rhyming, but a strong and effective use of violence and profanity. And be more poetic.

source
The New York Times. Images of Hanging Make Hussein a Martyr to Many. January 6, 2007.

posted: tuesday, january 9, 2007, 12:03 AM ET

update: thursday, february 1, 2007, 3:43 AM ET

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