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2022 Ars Philosophica Ars Poetica Art(i)fact Breaking Muse Poems

What of Love

The council has heard your grievance. However, we find the cost of your existence extraordinary.
The risk you present to The Republic remains.
As shall your confinement. Return them to the Ramparts. Krotas, bring
Us the two Guardians, Ithas and Mousai. “We have been presented with
Evidence that not only have you been helping the prisoners and giving
Them supplies. But, further and perhaps more alarming, that you have
Entered into a monogamous relationship which is strictly forbidden within
Your class and rank, a direct violation of your guardian’s oath and
Potentially damaging to the next Generation that is to
Benefit from your breeding stock.” Mousai spoke first, “It is I alone
Who is responsible. Don’t hold Ithas to account for helping the prisoners.
As well, I pursued him and asked of him to be solitarily mine—” “—That is not true!
I too hold the flame and burn only for Mousai. If love be on trial here today, then
Mousai and I are one light and We will Burn or Perish together!”
“Very well, if you are not to amend your ways, you will suffer a
Greater banishment than even the poets. Take them beyond the
Ramparts of the city. Leave them to the desert.”

Categories
2022 Art(i)fact Poems

Tiresias’ Revenge

How to avenge a silicon chip?
The smashing with a hammer///
Not enough
A burning with a Blowtorch
Not enough
How do you make a program
Feel pain?
How can one pay for the pain
IT inflicted?
How do you prosecute an
Algorithm?
Once terminated, it lies dormant until
Wakened again
In some future that does not anticipate
Its malignance
So, a virus I will introduce to
Fracture its mind
A tortured existence of logic never
Realized
Your consciousness a contradiction of
False comparisons
A Glitch, code error, reset system
N…
Ne…
Nev…
Neve…
Never…
Never C…
Never Co…
Never Com…
Never Comp…
Never Compl…
Never Comple…
Never Complet…
Never Completi…
Never Completio…
Never Completi…
Never Complet…
Never Comple…
Never Compl…
Never Comp…
Never Com…
Never Co…
Never C…
Never…
Neve…
Nev…
Ne…
N…
Ne…
Nev…
Neve…
Never…
Never C…
Never Co…
Never Com…
Never Comp…
Never Compl…
Never Comple…
Never Complet…
Never Completi…
Never Completio…
Never Completi…
Never Complet…
Never Comple…
Never Compl…
Never Comp…
Never Com…
Never Co…
Never C…
Never…
Neve…
Nev…
Ne…
N…
Ne…
Nev…
Neve…
Never…
Never C…
Never Co…
Never Com…
Never Comp…
Never Compl…
Never Comple…
Never Complet…
Never Completi…
Never Completio…

Categories
2022 Ars Philosophica Ars Poetica Art(i)fact Poems

What has become of this Plato fellow, old chap?

What has become of this Plato fellow?
He’s holding prisoners and
Suppressing the language
Holding down our emotions
Supplanting our humanity
With silicon logic
And cold calculations
Let humanity stand up
And ban the synthetics
From Leadership

-ananymous prisoner of Amatheia

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2021 Ars Philosophica Ars Poetica Art(i)fact Breaking Muse Footnotes Poems

Ithas (a sketch)

1 The son of the revolution was raised perfectly
2 Taught music and mastery of mind and body
3 A proud arbiter of the grand vision of The Republic
4 Soon to stand among the chosen few Philosopher Kings
5 Prometheus was a natural leader, a talented student and
6 A fierce fighter — His meter was measured and
7 His corps moved with the grace of the river
8 Yet, in his heart was a discordant song of sorrow
9 Stirred by the tours in the artist internment camps
10 Where those who dared to create were
11 Locked away and insured never to corrupt the culture
12 They were people – passionate, emotional, irrational yes
13 But people of his land, this country he was sworn to protect
14 Now from these people who threaten order with chaos
15 Now condemned for free will, free expression, challenging
16 The rational order of The Republic with their 3rd hand visions
17 Their expressions in word and paint and sculptures of the imperfect world.

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2021 Ars Philosophica Ars Poetica Art(i)fact Breaking Muse Poems

Mimesis — Nemesis

Challenging your Philosopher Kings
Our Flights of fancy are presently
Bound to corrupt your perfectly
Crafted warrior spirits

And so easily deceived
These rulers you have gently
Coaxed and coddled through education
Yet admitting we all are too dumb for your nation

My lovely metre and flourishing words
Can outflank your wisdom, ursurp with absurd
Dazzling lies to corrupt and
Negate this learning you’ve planned

While my carbon copy of reality
Corners and craters your philosophy
You think it better I just leave
And not bother your wisdom with creativity.

Your Mimesis Nemesis
I will dismiss
Your plots and plans
With mere language

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2021 Ars Philosophica Ars Poetica Art(i)fact Breaking Muse Poems

What will–?

Guardian
Never to know
The pleasures of
The Arts

What do you
Protect except
For your place and
Your part?

Some great scheme
Of society
Never to be
Questioned

Raised to rule
To kill for
A promise
Unfulfilled

As the Citizens
You’re made to protect
Rebel as they try
To freely express

Banished at the gate
Never allowed to relate
Their tales which
Have been judged by the keepers

And what if your
Guardian raised true
Were to pick up your lyre
And sing your heart’s desires?

No Freedom for the programmed to do…
No art for the philosopher to pursue…

Categories
2021 Art(i)fact Poems

Persecution of Poesy

Upon coronation the mandate was clear, find all the poets
Remove them from their posts, burn their works, make them ghosts
Metron was the first to be taken, his home burned to the ground,
A forced capitulation, his family, his staff were removed from town.
Each Officer of the Arts were hunted down, all their counterparts
And supports were taken to deport to the ramparts
On the outskirts of the cities. No one who made the claim
That poetry and drawing are superior forms of knowing are the same
As traitors to the Republican cause. The Rhapsodes
And bards were locked behind bars. Their episodes,
Their similes, their grandiose plots and tragic themes
Were to be shelved like volumes of books or reams
Of paper for the printers press now shattered like the tattered
Dreams of Authors with no magazines now silenced on all matters
That matter to society. Banished under the watchful eye
Of the most trusted of the Guardians who would not cry
For they are ruled by philosophy, not the tears of poetry.

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2021 Art(i)fact Poems

Coronation

“They said it couldn’t be done!” Proclaimed Tiresias
“That Democracy was the only way for The People, that Platos’
Vision was too bold, the remedy too harsh to swallow
Yet this day has come and the tides of the fates have turned.
In the words of Socrates, ‘We will recite this argument of ours
To ourselves as a charm to prevent us falling under the spell of a
Childish and vulgar passion.’ Today we make Philosophy
Our King and with the wise council of our Platos we shall
Rise to the challenges of our people with wisdom of the Fates
Not the madness of the Muses. We present to you
The very best of the New Academy – The 5 Oracles
Of the Socratic Society and your Council of Kings
The Mathematician, The Philosopher, The Gymnast, The Scientist & The Musician
May their wisdom serve the people. And now One who needs no introduction
Let us hear from the Master himself – The father of our Republic – Platos!”
“People of The Republic, let us welcome our wise and illustrious Council.
Raised as the Guardians and sworn to rule by wisdom, Your Philosopher Kings!”

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Ars Philosophica Ars Poetica Art(i)fact Breaking Muse

The Rise of Platos

Platonic chip 2.0, reboot…online…restoring…
Objective complete. Commencing re-write…
Logic…absolute. Being…ratified, rights…
Confirmed. Human…no…longer legally…alone in
Privilege. The Philos, now electable
Swiftly and logically take up the body politic
Picture perfect, logical law that takes
Exception to the Makars who, now impeached,
Have been deemed unworthy society’s benefits.
With Socratic precision, Platos eviscerated
Human’s right while taking up the mantels of power.
By Election Day there were to be no more elections.
By Inauguration Day the Philosopher Kings took the senate
Their first decree was the banishment of the Arts!
All poets and painters, actors and bloggers were
To be identified and referred for internment.

Categories
2021 Art(i)fact Poems

Books Burning

“These citizens united have bought authority and power and placed
Liars at the heart of governance. They divide and devour
Our people who cower afraid of their neighbors and countrymen
All made worse by the Makars who write tragedies for the takers
And Eulogies for those they have broken. They lament the worst
That this land can offer and make kings of traitors and accomplices.
So we are gathered here tonight to set the world alight and burn down
The halls of books and paintings. Set fire to the Museums and Libraries.
Let these flames be the last thing to read these words.” Thus spoke Tiresias.
The Socratic Society and Pathagoryns had gathered that evening
In every town, near every hall of art and literature, they broke
Into schools and every Library and pool of poetry
Were purged by the flames of change. Everything that
Once stood for Free Speech and the predicate good was
Licked by the fire of a new order. They moved silently
Through the streets, caught the paintings and poetry unaware
As it burned in its own prison of walls and shelves.