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("Howling Rock", City of Rocks, 2016)

Hate Speech

My dogs bark into the night
scared and excited about something in the dark
coyotes or deer or maybe just their own shadows.

It makes me think of ‘Hate Speech’
laying in bed wishing I could get back to sleep.

I think how I may not like what they have to say,
but will defend their right to say it.
Except in this case, Not! 
as I know, being just dogs I can control their speech.
All it takes is letting them in,
distracting them with a little comfort and security.

I think about the absurdity of ‘Hate Speech’ in humanity
the criminalization of thoughts and feelings 
expressed as passionate, desperate, fearful cries in the dark.

The absurdity of the arbitrariness of it all,
just like with the dogs, 
regardless if their cries are justified or not
it all comes down to if I want to hear it or not.
And right now I don’t.

It used to be you couldn’t speak badly about the powerful,
the lords and priests and those above your station.
Today the tides have changed
and you can’t speak badly about those without power,
the persecuted, weak, unwashed, unwanted and apparently so inferior 
they need protection, even from mere words.

But of course this will change 
as today’s powerful become tomorrow's persecuted
and vice a versa, so on, and so forth, ad nauseam.

In the night the dogs are quiet
settled now into their beds.

It’s a peaceful silent night
with snow all around, just how I like it.
And even if I’m still not getting any sleep
it’s some consolation to be the one in power 
controlling the kind of violent speech I hate
imposing the kind of peaceful silence I want.

Of course, nobody cares what I think,
Lord of all I survey,
except the dogs.

And thank goodness for the dogs.

(12/4/23)

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