my apologies to the offended i didn't intend
to everyone else... i do not
i expect the ratio's one to one million
those owed an 'i'm sorry' is a small lot
for you see i offend with a purpose
to inflict a small measure of pains
to at once release some of my anger
and to spark the engaging of brains
but the arena of broadcast discourse
is subject to such different rules
what's acceptable in close conversations
is soon "twisted...to make a trap for fools"
and thus we arrive at dilemma
in assessing the mess that we're in
to which i offer the solution
we must all grow a much thicker skin
enforced silence is not an option
a much wider latitude is due
i've the right to say anything i want to
and the very same right have you
it does harm to rely on escape clause
the discourse's ultimately choking
force parsing of the vaguer semantics
then dismissively say "only joking"
that way leads to rule by deception
of which we know all too well
beneath the rubble of once honest language
lies the ever smooth highway to hell
how soon we'll arrive's now the question
with so many more words in the air
and so few of them mean what they used to
perhaps we are already there ?
stephenhurleysmith
3feb2007
