Freedom of Speech

Poem for Salman Rushdie

Photo by Abdullah Faraz on Unsplash

Freedom of Speech

~for Salman Rushdie

In a dream I had, the apostates gathered
to breathe shared sighs of relief,
and laughter, amid the shock of disbelief,
that somehow they’d survived
long enough to see a world achieve peace.

All it took was one more violent act,
just one more author butchered in the street,
just one more journalist
beheaded like a lamb,
just one more lynching
of gays
thrown from bridge or building or dam,
just one more hostage
doused with gasoline
before set aflame
by masked men
shouting praise among chants
repeating their god’s name.

All this, betwixt the double speak,
proclamations from the religions of peace,
death to all non-believers,
and blasphemers,
and breakers of God’s holy law,

while the truth is barely whispered
between the teeth of a broken jaw,
when they’re rushing you with knives
stabbing from all sides,
just stand and deliver your speech.