Lenny Bruce Was Not Afraid Poem by John Ackerman

Lenny Bruce Was Not Afraid

You believed in free verbal expression.
However, the law harassed you with repression.
Your fans loved you. You had quite a following.
What you said on stage and on records had them laughing.

Some of your words were an inappropriate quip.
You had to deal with drug addiction as well as censorship.
A perverted deviate they called you in your day.
The wrong things were said, and the law whisked you away.
Your life was the eventual high price you had to pay.
What you said back then seems like nothing today.

R.E.M. named you in the 'End of The World' song
never afraid to take a stand by sticking it to the man
you will be missed in the whole wide world comic circus
now we must dismiss any notion of disrespect as you lay to rest