{"id":18722,"date":"2013-05-24T13:59:58","date_gmt":"2013-05-24T20:59:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alternativejonestown.com\/?page_id=18722"},"modified":"2013-05-24T14:07:34","modified_gmt":"2013-05-24T21:07:34","slug":"six-anonymous-poems","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/?page_id=18722","title":{"rendered":"Six Anonymous Poems"},"content":{"rendered":"

Forever Jones<\/center><\/strong><\/p>\n

And from the tomb he did reply:
\nTho, few have fought as well as I,
\nMortal flesh anon, must die:<\/p>\n

From the depth of skin and bone
\nUnshaken still, did he intone:
\nMy charges were unloved and lone
\nAnd I, destined from the start
\nTo know the grief that storms the heart
\nof the forsaken and to impart
\nto them the surging strength of me.
\nMightier than the charging sea,
\nAttuned to all that he, especially unto thee
\nWho suffers much to walk with me.<\/p>\n

Dream ye not of streets of gold.
\nNor an end to pain,
\nOften in our forever, we will walk
\nthis way again.<\/p>\n

The tall pine opened an aging eye and
\ntrembled its brittle cones<\/span>
\nThen it fell full length, it did
\nAthwart the tune of Jones.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jim Jones 10\/11\/69<\/p>\n

\n

The Choice<\/center><\/strong><\/p>\n

Where now?
\nPerhaps there is hope for Life someday \u2013 but not for our lives.<\/p>\n

Perhaps there is hope for Happiness somewhere \u2013 but not for us. <\/p>\n

No expectations\u2026 only the acceptance of the Void \u2013
\n the profound, inexpressible void:<\/span>
\n that all-encompassing abyss which demands from us<\/span>
\n that we function according to Duty.<\/span><\/p>\n

Who is keeping score in this absurd game? Will it never end?
\nAnd who makes the rules?<\/p>\n

Such Trickery!<\/p>\n

For if we had wanted to \u2018win\u2019 \u2013 we would have already lost \u2013 pitifully so.<\/p>\n

But I wonder \u2013 when it is all tallied.
\nWhen it is asked:
\n \u201cWhich wars did you choose?\u201d<\/span>
\n \u201cWhich battles did you wage?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Who could answer better than we?<\/p>\n

For did we not have a high road to travel and the way made clear?<\/p>\n

Did we not find comradery [camaraderie] of spirits never before encountered\u2026
\n Unity of Purpose binding us together.<\/span><\/p>\n

What greater heights that we have reached?<\/p>\n

Did we not see life\u2026 and prefer death?<\/p>\n

Is there not some Victory in the choice of Reality?<\/p>\n

\n

Reflections<\/center><\/strong><\/p>\n

Look around\u2014
\nWhat you see?<\/p>\n

Greed,
\ncorruption,
\nviolence\u2026
\nNothing worth saving!<\/p>\n

(except for the children)<\/p>\n

so many soul-less beings,
\nwhose real substance
\nhas long been abandoned in the struggle.<\/p>\n

Poor when the load grew heavy,
\nit was quickly lay down in exchange for all-pervading apathy\u2026<\/p>\n

now they are the walking dead.<\/p>\n

There is no pain left\u2026<\/p>\n

except for the children.<\/p>\n

Gentle, wistful spirits\u2013
\nknowledgeable of the secrets
\nof creation.<\/p>\n

Pitiful trespassers
\nin a foreign world\u2013<\/p>\n

the children bear the scars of their parents battles.<\/p>\n

There is no hope at all\u2026<\/p>\n

except for the children.<\/p>\n

\n

The Debtor<\/center><\/strong><\/p>\n

I would offer you something \u2013 but everything I have <\/p>\n

is either borrowed or stolen.<\/p>\n

Stolen from the bulk of Humanity which contain <\/p>\n

nothing as its own.<\/p>\n

The faintest smile; the slightest moment of respite\u2026<\/p>\n

belongs to others.<\/p>\n

The despair of the millions: the agony of those
\ndeath claims slowly\u2026<\/p>\n

is no less mine.<\/p>\n

The \u2013 Debt \u2013 Is \u2013 So \u2013 Great.<\/p>\n

Nothing is transferable\u2026
\nno negotiating.<\/p>\n

Where then in this barren womb is the renewal?
\nWhat is there of nourishment for the \u2018intangible\u2019?<\/p>\n

Nothing\u2026<\/p>\n

but the undying
\nconviction reflected
\nin familiar, trusted eyes.<\/p>\n

Unqualified commitment is the only Redemption.<\/p>\n

\n

Ode to the Plants<\/strong><\/p>\n

In silent majesty
\nthey offer
\nthemselves\u2014<\/p>\n

as a tribute
\nto whatever is the sacred
\nessence<\/p>\n

of life\u2026<\/p>\n

if only it was
\nso easy<\/p>\n

to see the Divinity<\/p>\n

in the liter [litter]
\nthe blows<\/p>\n

along the sidewalk.<\/p>\n

\n

Traitor Beware:<\/center><\/strong><\/p>\n

What was that?
\nWho is it?<\/p>\n

Oh, maybe it’s nothing.<\/p>\n

Is someone there?<\/p>\n

As you grow bolder and more careless \u2013 those forces you
\nhave wrong grow keener\u2013
\nEver patient\u2026<\/p>\n

watching,
\nwaiting.<\/p>\n

FOOL!
\nDo not think that we have forgotten!<\/p>\n

Our memories are sharp with the pain and suffering you have caused.
\nHow vividly we recall the emptiness of the post that you deserted!<\/p>\n

COWARD!<\/p>\n

The breathe [breath] of those whose lives you sold cheaply fills
\nour lungs\u2013 even as they lie dying.
\nWe are not discouraged.
\nWe are biding our time.<\/p>\n

We know who you are.
\nBut you do not know us\u2026 for everyday [every day] our side increases
\nits strength, 10 fold\u2026 100 fold.
\nThe forces of the People grow!<\/p>\n

Who shall win in this life and death struggle?<\/p>\n

Can you not see the \u2018writing on the wall\u2019?<\/p>\n

And very soon\u2013 there will be no wall standing.<\/p>\n

You can run and hide TRAITOR\u2013<\/p>\n

but it will not help.<\/p>\n

The Hounds of the People shall sniff you out!<\/p>\n

And even the most merciful will turn away from you\u2026<\/p>\n

as Justice prevails!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Forever Jones And from the tomb he did reply: Tho, few have fought as well as I, Mortal flesh anon, must die: From the depth of skin and bone Unshaken still, did he intone: My charges were unloved and lone And I, destined from the start To know the grief that storms the heart of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":18720,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-18722","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18722","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18722"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18722\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18728,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18722\/revisions\/18728"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18720"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18722"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}