American Cipher (early draft)
American Cipher (early draft)
AGE 29 - Rural Nevada
Never means maybe, maybe means yes
and avoiding the subject means no.
It butters our bread, and it milks all the cows,
and it hastens the cotton to grow.
When we have employed it to solve all our problems,
there’s nothing we’ll seek yet to know.
We’ll burn down the stables, and race with our tractors,
and toss out our seeds with the hoe.
Never means maybe, maybe means yes
and avoiding the subject means no.
There’s been no more splendid discovery since
the new musical scale, fee-fi-fo!
While going to war, it’s a GIANT advantage;
our enemies shake, head-to-toe!
We’ll take down the Union Jack from all their cities,
and hoist up the new Union Joe.
Never means maybe, maybe means yes
and avoiding the subject means no.
When socially-graceful men opt for denial,
they cover their cards — not to show.
If there’s any chance that it may be abandoned,
they act like their plan’s not a go.
Should worse come to worst, they’ll no longer be present
when friends discontinue to glow.
Never means maybe, maybe means yes
and avoiding the subject means no.
It’s perfect for smoothing the difficult bumps
on the road to acceptance, you know?
Remember this code, and remember it well;
simple statements quite simply won’t do.
“Call me tomorrow” means “...if I’m not busy” ;
“I can’t” means “I shall not, for you.”
.
American Cipher (final draft)
American Cipher (final draft)
AGE 42 - THE VOID
Never means maybe,
maybe means yes,
and avoiding_the_subject means no.
It butters our bread, and it milks all the cows
and it hastens the cotton to grow.
When we have abused it to fix all our problems,
there’s nothing we’ll seek yet to know.
Let’s burn down the stables, and race with our tractors
and toss out the seeds and the hoe!
Never means maybe.
Maybe means yes!
and - avoiding the subject - means no.
No fresh innovation has proven more noble,
since the solfege of fee, fi and fo!
When fighting a war, it’s a giant advantage!
You Britons shall ~ quake ~ head to toe.
We’ll lower the Union Jack from all your flagpoles,
and hoist up the new Union Joe!
Ne-ver means may-be...
may-be means yes...
and a-void-ing the sub-ject means no.
When men of fine character decline to help,
they permit no declension to show.
That all expectation be nipped in the bud,
they conceal every card that they hold…
and hold for a promise each whispered intention,
that ne’er may they waken controlled!
“Never” means [maybe],
“maybe” means [yes]
and AvoidingTheSubject means [nay] !
You learned it from mom, then you taught it to me.
Now I cipher each word that I say.
So listen — ye fools — and remember this well:
all our candor collapsed and withdrew...
and “call me tomorrow” means [ ... if I’m not busy ] ;
“I can’t” means [ ... at least not for you! ]
.
I like this a lot and I share your frustration here :D I hate when people refuse to be honest in the name of politeness or an inability to decline suggestions respectfully. Obviously, it's not just an American phenomenon, but new strains of bullshit proliferate especially well in the civilisational centre of the era, and right now that is the US.
This poem struck me more deeply than I expected.
As a child, I remember asking my family for ice cream or chocolate and slowly realizing that their words didn't always mean exactly what they said. I had a vague sense that there was something hidden between the lines, but I never consciously learned to read it. As I grew up, I still didn't learn. Then, as an adult, someone told me a few wishful words: in this world, 90% of things people are not going to communicate with you. You've got to understand yourself. In polite words, that person said Learn how to read between the lines.
Then I grew diplomatic. Sometimes it's frustrating; sometimes I feel like picking up a fight with people who arent straight forward. Eventually, reading between the lines ends up making people go into survival mode, constantly deciphering what others are saying.