Meditation #12 -- pariah
And the upraised voice in the public square.
Not for us the pleading words
Calling hate-blinded souls to care.
Not for us the persuasive skill
That Socrates taught when the mind was new;
Logic, arguments, reason, facts
All are in vain in a world askew.
Make the case and speak it clear,
Rational words in the enemy's ear,
And they see who you are, and robotically,
Their minds slam shut and their rage bursts free.
That isn't the way.
The rock that no hammer or bullet could shatter
Yields to the patient erosion of water.
Images, wordless hints, beauty in art,
Subtle but bright in their films and TV,
Sway the subconscious, seducing the heart;
Their guard isn't up when they like what they see.
If words from without merely trigger their hate,
We'll reach them instead through the quiet voice within.
Show them, don't tell them, to open the gate;
No more tribe-against-tribe when all visions are kin.
posted by Infidel753 at 2:48 AM
4 Comments:
The honey/vinegar trick, huh?
I think the 'conservative' mind has, apart from a special aversion to truth, a pathological need to keep power on its side. There's no beauty that can reach that.
XOXO
I sure hope your cultural theory is right.
Nice! I especially like “The rock...of water” stanza.
I am finding the optimism contagious!
Sixpence: It's not really about power, though. It works because people don't realize what they're being reached about.
Debra: We'll see.....
Annie: Thanks! That stanza could apply to a lot of things, I think.
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