Ode to Rushdie

RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: POEMICS

 

Ode to Rushdie

 

His weapons are words

His words are weapons so powerful

They strike fear and loathing

In the hearts of religious zealots

 

Words concepts ideas ideology

Rushdie engages free speech

He is a warrior of words

He is a soldier of intellect

 

He knows the dangers of his words

He has lived with that danger

For many long years

A holy man called for his death

For the crime of offensive words

 

He answered in the only way he could

With words written and spoken

He did not back down

He refused to be silenced

He pushed forward as he always had

As he always will

As long as he is able

 

Now a madman in religious guise

Attacks him viciously

Drawing his blood

Seeking to end his life

 

We can promise the assassin he failed

For Rushdie’s words only acquire

Greater strength and endurance

With this barbaric assault

 

You cannot defeat words with violence

You cannot kill ideas with bloodshed

You may think that you have won

But you have lost

And you will lose again

As long as you pit rage against reason

You will always lose