Poetry Contest!! A Crunch Into Niemoller’s Credit
By Gilad Atzmon • Oct 11th, 2008 at 13:16 • Category: Gilad Atzmon, Gilad's Choice, Newswire, Our Authors, Religion, Zionism
A Crunch Into Niemoller’s Credit by Gilad Atzmon
Using the Niemoller Paradigm as the basis to express what is troubling you about the world today, create one, two or three poems. Put them in the comments section of Palestine Think Tank and the best will win the prize of an autographed copy of Gilad Atzmon’s “In Loving Memory Of America” (soon-to-be-released album).
First they came for my holiday home
and I didn't speak up,
because I couldn't afford a break anyway.
Then they came for my new car
and I didn't speak up,
because I didn't have the money to fill the tank.
Then they came for my fridge
and I didn't speak up,
because I couldn't find the cash to buy some sausage and mash.
Then they came for my pillow,
and I didn't speak up,
because I couldn't put my mind to rest.
Then they came for me,
but with no debts to pay back I was a penniless hack.
They moved on,
and left me alone.
The Road Map to Peace
First they came for the Neocons,
and I didn't speak up,
because I wasn't a Neocon.
Then they came for the Bankers,
and I didn't speak up,
because I wasn't a Banker.
Then they came for the Zionists,
and I didn't speak up,
because I wasn't a Zionist.
Then they came for me,
I invited them in for biscuits and tea.
They found me charming,
They left me alone.
They simply moved on.
Once they left
I stepped out of my door.
It was pretty quiet around,
It seemed as if we had fair chance for a new clean start.
The Chameleon
First they came for the Egalitarians,
and I didn't speak up
because I only pretended to be an Egalitarian.
Then they came for the Libertarians,
and I didn't speak up,
because I just claimed to be a Libertarian.
Then they came for the Cosmopolitans
and I didn't speak up,
because I merely insisted to be a Cosmopolitan.Then they came for the Islamophobes,
and I kept quiet,
because I was an Islamophobe.
When they came for me,
no one could make up their mind whether I was an Egalitarian, a Libertarian, a Cosmopolitan or an Islamophobe.
There was no one left to speak up for me.
A Cosmopolitan Against Discrimination
First they came for the Marxists,
and I didn't speak up
because I wasn't a true Marxist.
Then they came for the Working Class,
and I didn't speak up,
because though I support the unemployed, I've never worked a day in my life.
Then they came for the Muslims,
and I didn't speak up,
because I didn't care at all.
Then they said something about the Jews
and I freaked out
because I happen to be Jewish.
Gilad Atzmon is a jazz musician, composer, producer and writer.
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Bimbo on a Budget
Fist they came for my hair dye
And I didn't speak up because people may guess I am not a 'natural blond'.
Then they came for my Gucci dress
my lip gloss, dental floss,
my Hugo Boss
Pour Dame
I didn't say a word because I didn't want anyone to spot my yellow teeth
Then they seized my Calvin Klein bikini
my deluxe platter of fresh sashimi
They repossessed my wonder bra
They revoked my peak-time gym-club card
They sacked my prophetic style advisor
And discontinued my moisturiser
I would speak up now but who would recognize me?
The Dow can fall
The Han can sing
All my 'assets' are suffering
An American's Lament
First the police violated the rights of Blacks. I didn't speak up because those guys in baggy clothes had probably done something wrong at one time anyway.
Then the police abused the Latinos. I still said nothing because the gang-banging, job-stealers had it coming to them.
Next it was the turn of the Hillbillies. I couldn't work up much sympathy for tattooed drunks carrying guns in their rusty pickup trucks.
I cheered when the Muslims were swept up for some friendly water games. How can one feel safe around swarthy, bearded men with unpronounceable names?
Hold on, there's a loud banging at my front door. Oh no! It's just been kicked in and armed men are swarming through my house shooting up my family!! Someone, anyone please help me!
When they first detained undocumented immigrants by the hundreds,
I didn't respond
Even though babies were left alone without their mommies
And kids were afraid to go to school
And over on fourth of the town disappeared
When they first came after the activists
For defending trees and organic crops, I didn't say
Anything cause I couldn't relate to treesitters
Then I flew home late for my plane
Forgetting I had wrapped my departed fathers coin collection
In alumi um foil
Did they have a field day with
me
God be surprised what we find in luggage
But if you let me buy one of these hundred year old silver dollars
I'd be sure you made it home on time
You know we keep people for hours inthat little room
How much do you want to giveme?
When they came for the professors
I did not say anything cause I wasn't
A real professor
And on the morning they came for the other activists
Some thought I was a professor anyway
I said no, I'm an imposter I love to cook pies and
Don't care about politics
I write little books for children
But they didn't like my name
The treasuries were bankrupt and the state
Wanted as many assets as it could grab
I said I am poor
They think what they want and you are
what they say you are
After our power hasbeen stolen, laws changed like bad weather
After the point at which power has been stolen
First they (the anti Semites) came for the Jews
and I did not speak out - because I was just a secular one.
Then they came for the Semites
and I did not speak out - because I was really just a Khazarian.
Then they came for the Khazarians
and I did not speak out - because by then I was operating as an egalitarian, Neocon, pro war, anti Racist Islamophob and many other things .
Then they came for the egalitarians, Neocons, pro war, anti Racists, Islamophobs and all the many other very many things
By then there was no one left to speak out for me not even Norman Geras.
Info re Norman Geras, the Marxist Islamophob pro war egalitarian
http://www.islamophobia-watch.com/display/Search?searchQuery=norman+geras&moduleId=1290238
They came for the Communists, and we didn't speak up because we weren't Communist.
They came for the Jews, and we didn't speak up because we weren't Jewish.
They came for Lebanon's Christians, and we didn't speak up because we weren't Marionettes.
They came for Sudan's blacks, and we didn't speak up because we weren't Sudanese blacks.
They came for the Catholics, and we didn't speak up because we were Protestant.
They came for the trade unionists, and we didn't speak up because we were white collar.
They came for the gays and lesbians but we didn't speak out because we were straight.
They came for the asylum-seekers and refugees; they fed us suspicions and fears, soothed us with mindless entertainment and tried to keep us clueless to the true facts on the ground as we pursued keeping bread on the table and a dry roof above head.
Then they came for those who listened to the voice of their conscience [another name for God] and spoke the truth from their gut.
But there was nobody left to speak up.
Excerpted from "Passion, Activist Burnout and US" published first September 20, 2008
http://www.wearewideawake.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1034&Itemid=204
First they came for the Palestinians in Deir Yassin and Kifr Qassem and we didn’t speak out because we were leftists and the Labor Zionists were building a workers’ paradise
Then they came after the Palestinians legally by setting up a system of apartheid on the books but we didn’t say anything because Israel was the only democracy in the Middle East
They then decided — what the fuck — let’s just take the West Bank, Gaza and the Golan and be done with it. And because we were Judeo-Christians before we were leftists and secretly believed that God told Moses he could have the whole place anyway we looked the other way but secretly thought to ourselves “yessssssssssss!"
They then developed the concept of extrajudicially killing individual Palestinians and went after Ghassan Kanafani because poetry was to them synonymous twith bullets and we looked the other way because we were fashionably absorbed in protesting Vietnam
Then they decided to get their proxies to go after the Palestinians in Jordan and Lebanon and we kept our mouths shut because not only were we working on our MBAs we didn’t want to be called anti-Semites
They then decided to go after anyone else who supported the Palestinians and got the US to invade Iraq and even got off their own fat asses to try to go after Hizbullah but we didn’t say anything because by then we were all feminist Islamophobes
Finally they came after our stock market shares, our mortgages, our retirement accounts and our precious standard of living and we tried to open our mouths and say something but by then our vocal chords had dried up from misuse and all that came out was a choking, death-like rasp
I really love what I see here.
We may even finish them off just a pen
Peace to you all
Gilad
Oi, first they came for the credit card fraudsters
and he did not speak out - because he'd spent his conviction.
And the tzures never stop
Then they came for the shoplifters
and he did not speak out - because he'd spent his conviction
Nu Shoin,
Then they came for copy machine vandals
and he still did not speak out, the shelmazel - because he'd spent his conviction
Then they came for the self-haters
and he did not speak out because he loves himself for no reason
Then they came for him
By then everybody knew who he was
and they were all laughing their head off
And I was very, very sad for the shame he brings on all of us, on his father in heaven and the Marxists and the Bolshevists and even the last two Bundists.
I was so sad that I shouted, take me instead!
@nikon -
(Here are the fixed typos to my posted poem. Please use this version…Thanks, Nikon)
When they first detained undocumented immigrants by the hundreds,
I didn’t respond
Even though babies were left alone without mommies
And kids were afraid to go to school
And over one fourth of the town disappeared
When they first came after the activists
For defending trees and organic crops, I didn’t say
Anything cause I couldn’t relate to treesitters
Then I flew home late for my plane
Forgetting I had wrapped my departed fathers coin collection
In aluminum foil
Did they have a field day with me!
"You'd be surprised what we find in luggage,
but if you let me buy one of your hundred year old silver dollars.
I’d be sure you made your plane on time…you know we keep people
for hours in that little room…"
How much will you give me? Being detained could hurt more than pride
When they came for the professors
I did not say anything 'cause I wasn’t
A real professor
And on the morning they came for the other activists
Some thought I was a professor anyway
I said, " No, I’m an imposter; I love to cook pies and
don’t care about politics…"
I write little books for children,
but they didn’t like my name.
The treasuries were bankrupt and the state
wanted any stuff it could grab
I said, " I am poor…"
But they think what they want and you are
what they say you are.
After our power has been stolen, laws changed like bad weather…
after the point at which power has been stolen.
First they came for the men who tried to get into the swimming session restricted to children only,
And I didn't speak up because I have children too
Then they came for the men who tried to get into the swimming session restricted to women only,
And I didn't speak out because I too have a wife, and a mother, and a sister,
Then they came for the men who tried to get into the swimming session restricted to Haredis,
And I didn't speak up because Haredis are part of the Chosen People
Then they came for the men who tried to gatecrash the swimming session restricted to Muslim males
And I did speak up, in fact I screamed about it at the top of my voice
to the Daily Mail, the Guardian and the Telegraph.
I managed to whip up quite some anti-Muslim hysteria.
You see, I was angling for a promotion at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen and Hamilton.
The Jazzman
First the came for the drummers but i wasn’t a drummer
Then they came for the pianists but i wasn't a pianist
Then they came for bassists but I wasn’t bassist
Then I managed to book myself a gig but there was no one to play with
TABLOID WAR ON TERROR!
First, they went for the asylum seekers.
Banner headlines trumpeted as one,
It was only reasonable and fair
That they should take their pitiful problems ELSEWHERE!
Then, they went for all the foreigners,
Or anyone with a suspicion of dark skin.
There was very little fuss, after all,
“They all look just like Palestinians to us.”
Then they went for the Welsh,
With that weird language
And once the miners had all gone,
A miserable race, of little use,
Save for the odd sentimental song.
Next in the firing line,
People with alien, or
Obviously made up names.
Kelly, Balls, Blunkett, Jack Straw,
Milliband, Mandelson and myriads more.
When the government finally shut down the presses,
Ex journos began to look at the world around,
Desperate for help, but totally bereft
To find, that of their former readership
There wasn’t one reader left.
Richard Jones
Nice one Sarah!@Sarah -
SETTLER'S LAMENT
First they came for the ragged farmers living off their land.
They pushed them as far south as they could get them
and fenced them in.
I didn't speak up because I too was a poor ragged refugee
and I had to only worry about my own troubles and needed a new place to live.
Then they came for their shop keepers, mechanics, labourers.
They made them work for a fraction of the price
and allowed them to do business only with us on our terms.
I didn't speak up, because I too didn't have a lot of cash
and getting my needs attended to cheaply allowed me to save
so that my children could go to university and that I could have holidays.
Then they came for their professors, doctors and lawyers.
They forbade them from working in decent conditions and with regular pay.
Most of them abandoned their positions and came to work for us as labourers.
I didn't speak up because I didn't trust those people when they get too educated.
My family moved to a development town, and the competition was going to be tough
to keep our living standard what it was.
Then they came for us.
They told us we had to abandon the settlement.
When they came for us, telling us for peace we had to leave our beautiful homes.
They came for us with our own soldiers.
We beat our chests, moaned and wailed.
At least this time the world took such pity on us, showing our exhibitions of pain for them
so that they could make the connection with our old pain.
Jews making Jews leave! The new Kapos!
The world is a terrible loveless place.
The Poet
First they came for a word
I didn’t speak up
So they went looking for God
Then they came looking for a language
I didn’t speak up
So they watched the smoke rise from a stone
Then they came looking for a creed
I didn’t speak up
So they murdered, robbed and lied about everyone
Then they came,, still looking for god
I didn’t speak up
So then, jealous, they kneeled to cry “worship”
And thereafter, as I didn’t speak up, they left me alone.
I watched them play “Follow my Leader”
[...] you about the world today, create one, two or three poems. Put them in the comments section of Palestine Think Tank and the best will win the prize of an autographed copy of Gilad Atzmon’s “In Loving Memory Of [...]