Vox Populi
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Melissa Tuckey: Genocide Called
Genocide called.
She wants to share
a lukewarm cup of tea with you.
Nothing too spicy.
She’d like you to stop using her name in public.
Dialogue is optional, but she insists
on being heard.
Can you active listen?
All of her hurts must be recognized.
She’s calling collect.
You already have her number.
She lives next door.
She’s not a stranger.
She’s not feeling well.
There’s too much talk.
She wants to dialogue,
but first she needs to tape your mouth closed.
She wants to tango,
wants to do-si-do.
Needs to borrow a hammer.
She’ll pour you
an ice cold cup of logic.
Burden you with her own regret.
Maybe you are just imagining it.
Maybe it is all about you.
Genocide called. She wants her ring back—
—
Copyright 2015 Melissa Tuckey
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Very fine, like a warm brandy as I recall it in the days when I was innocent of what it was doing to me to always turn to brandy…..powerful in the hours of sadness, the garish canvas of bodies splayed in blood on cement, like Warhol gone ape. So painful but the good burn, like a branding iron in the hand, saying what it is forever more….She wants to dialogue,
but first she needs to tape your mouth closed….thank you, Melissa….xj
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A related poem and sculpture by Andrew Ellis Johnson
Charge: Redefining Genocide 1999, altered bugle, black flag, marble sarcophagus lid, 60” x 24” x 6”.
Undertaken Duty
When genocide called us to action
The mouthpiece grew the bell’s attraction
The air still blew
No fee to view
Ethnic cleansing with satisfaction.
For image, visit:
http://artscool.cfa.cmu.edu/~johnson/charge.html
or
http://www.pittsburghartistregistry.org/accounts/view/AndrewEllisJohnson
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A related poem by Andrew Ellis Johnson
undertaken duty
when genocide called us to action
the mouthpiece grew the bell’s attraction
the wind still blew
no fee to view
ethnic cleansing with satisfaction
___________________________________________________________
For related sculpture titled CHARGE, visit http://artscool.cfa.cmu.edu/~johnson/charge.html
and
http://www.pittsburghartistregistry.org/accounts/view/AndrewEllisJohnson
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