Nguyen Chi Thien Poem by David McLansky

Nguyen Chi Thien

You pious frauds of twisted truth
You who've robbed me
Of my youth
You hack black robed State Powers judge
You make of Time a numbing sludge
With your legal tricks and your pious smirks
With your pompous rites and your righteous quirks,
You dare to link your name with mine,
May my glory ever shine
Illuminating to your shame
Your torture of my flesh and name,
And cast a glimmer of shadowed light
A pale reflection on your might;
I remembered, you forgot,
In my shadow may you rot,
In my cell, my hut, my cave,
May you in deafness ever rave.