Dear professor
Dear professor
I am writing to let you know
I am no longer moved to write for you.
Though you hold symbols with such precision
(How you do this, I will never know)
The cold calculus of your theory has sterilized them.
In your effort to legitimize yourself.
You have delegitimized art itself,
Pushed us further away from its center.
I learned too late there was no ivory tower,
there were no steps to climb,
No secret magic formula to you inculcations.
No, I learned too late that your eruditions are tautologies.
That your tautologies are totems
That your totems are stakes.
And that your stakes are entrenched in white supremacy
(This is true of most things)
Dear professor,
I am writing to let you know
That your Kingdom of Knowledge is Konsidered an affront to us.
That your theory is teeming with bigotry
That your laurels are dying
That your skin is showing
That your novels don’t hold up
That despite all the history you can muster
You’re forced to confront that above all:
You are guilty of the most primal sin.
Your kingdom rests on the primitive accumulation of knowledge.
Your kingdom forms the greatest real estate of curriculum.
Your kingdom shakes on a foundation of exclusivity.
Your kingdom teeters in its veracity to maintain itself.
Your kingdom creates the very scholars that will come for you.
Your erudition has shown me something you did not intend:
The fragility of your kingdom is in its figure,
It’s fettered by its own form.
Posted Feb 24, 2021, 1:19 AM UTC · edited
I find it impressive. I find much of my cynical nature reflected in this poem especially the beginning of it. The flow is dynamic, the verbiage a bit verbose but it seems like that’s kinda the point and intentional (that or I’m just not on your level which very well could be the case) in either case it’s precise and effective. As the cynicism extended to the racial divide in higher education, ie what is defined as being worth something or not in literature historically being controlled by WHITE men, my ability to connect was lessened. I’m white so it’s not a distinction my mind makes in it’s cynical view. My mind would have merely went the path of it’s a classist issue, but I would be willfully naive to not acknowledge the racial ties in history to classism and hierarchies and the like. It just takes me longer to get there and so the very quick transition was jarring as for me the relationship of it isn’t something I’m always reminded of just by existing. Anyway, hope none of that comes across in ways I don’t intend it to. I’m glad to have read this because it’s made me consider views outside of me and thats something I try to do and need to do more often.
Hey thanks for the read. I don't think you came across in any negative way. I can definitely understand where you're coming from in your feedback in the change in tone is a bit abrupt. Thanks for that, it's certainly something to consider.
As for the verbosity, it's certainly intentional, but I don't think it puts me on any particular level, just another trick to try. But for real thanks for reading.