Speech Poem by Paul Andrew Bourne

I see emptiness in their utterances
I see corruption as their intent
as what is uttered is not meant
and what is meant to be interpreted,
in their speech its not the words
but within the speech
lives a craft -
a toy engineered for fools
it's a message that ostracizes, but not divides
I see through their speeches -
for within the speeches emptiness abound

it is a mastery of prose not purity
that they seek to portray

they label a speech,
they label a tale,
they label the Bible,
they label us poverty -
but their meaning nor their solution

but they say is
"I can", or "We can"
without you
"I can" they say -
"I can be anything" but little did I understood that
that was the message
yes, it is their message -
within the speech they rise again

within their structures
the obstacles are plenty
for it has taken
observation's experiences
for the lesson to ferment within my wounds

I was fooled
that "I can", yes "I can" -
but, but
that wasn't for I man




It is as though I'm lost in their maze
I just trying, trying to survive
just to hear that
"I can…"
then I stopped, listened to hear
" I can, die"
"I can die poor but happy"

with the other message
echoing in the distance
that it is easier for the camel
man, yes, camel
to enter heaven
than, yes, Oh no
for the rich
so I opted for poverty
but little did I know
it was just a message within the speech

a needle eye
I echoed, a needle eye
can I die
is it that which was meant
but in the interest of time
the echo repeate
"I can" -
a dialectic within the speech -
as if you could, I would …

yes … if they wanted you to
it would not have been speech

" I can" have nothing to do with effort
as if I could, I would
Yes I would have done it already
but it's to decipher the message
within the speech

as only a revolution will foster
"I can" with the same set of
challenges as those who preach -
within the speech