Corporate Cancel Culture

 

The Wokeness of Men and the New Pharisees

Aziraphale: “Did you ever meet him?”
Crowley: “Yes. He seemed a very bright young man. I showed him all the kingdoms of the world.”
Aziraphale: “Why?”
Crowley: “He’s a carpenter from Galilee. His travel opportunities are limited… What was it he said that got everybody so upset?”
Aziraphale: “Be kind to each other.”
Crowley: “Oh, ya. That will do it.”
                                       Good Omens, Pratchett & Gaiman

I did not leave my country. My country left me,
I did not leave my culture. My culture left me,
I did not leave liberalism. Liberalism left me.
I did not leave polite discourse for puerile denunciation.
I did not leave human decency but I fear human decency has left us all.
What remains is a paper macher carnival float going up in a whoosh and a bang,
Love burning in the fires of vapid appearance.

When did the admonition to love thy neighbor become a threat to society?

Woke I Am

The grownups have left us and gone for the day,

“We’ll only be out for a bit,” did they say.
“Now, carefully see that no mischief is brewing,
And no thing is done that shouldn’t be doing.
We trust you to always play nice and be gentle,
And any play mishap will be accidental.”

“Oh, no!” said the fish in the thingama bowl.
“Now look who is here, with a thump and a roll.
Who is this who has come in to wrangle the lot of us?
Why, it’s a snarkily garmented Woke-ippopotamus!
With his shoes on his head and his hat on his toes,
His waistcoat on backwards and pants full of holes.
He brought in his train two unearthly contrarians,
Who fly through the room like a pair of barbarians.
Believe me, I tell you, they’re not to be trusted,
Their brains are all sawdust, their hearts wholly rusted!”

Woke 1 and Woke 2 of mischief’s creation,
Leapt in to begin an absurd sylabberation.

“I don't like you, Woke I Am.
I don't like you as a man.
I don't like you in a city.
I don't like you looking pretty.
I don’t like the nouns you pro-.
I don’t like the way you go.
I don’t like the shade of your skin.
I don’t like the trade you’re in.
I don’t like the shoes you wear.
I don’t like the part in your hair.
If I could end the things you’re lacking,
I would send you off and packing.”

Then they laughed and like two dunces,
scurried off two ways at onces!

They may think they’re something spectacular,
As they spout their redacular vernacular.
In the home and out in the heat,
Along each nook of Mulberry Street.
But they’ll be down there on the double,
To put the cancel to your trouble.
If you question one, ‘Me, Too,’
You’ll see what happens If They Ran The Zoo.
Twice or thrice cancelled? No! Merely once a fool,
Is enough to land you in McElligot’s Pool.
Heedless you stand not a knee bent to she-ra?
Will send you from Alpha to On Beyond Zebra.
Don’t think you can vex us and claim you’re a trouper,
We’ll shove down your throat more than Scrambled Eggs Super!
All this and much more will cut like a scissor,
If you fail even one test on The Woken Cat’s Quizzer.

“So what do you think?” asked the Wokes with their manacles.
“Do you think you can think lovely thoughts your own selficles?
All are much stupider than few, we both guesses,
And none of us? Well, those must be the geniuses.”

 “Oh, wish us. We wish us,” said the children in fright,
“We had heeded the fish, for we know he was right.
Send this Mayhem and Mischief at once into pieces,
Please tell me the day and the hour this ceases.
This Woke 1 and Woke 2 are not worth a peeping,
Can we send them away? Send them back into sleeping?”

 Just then went the door a’flutter on its hinges,
As the grownups came sauntering back from their fringes.
Woke 1 and Woke 2 took flight with a grin,
“Don’t worry,” said the Woke-ippopotamus. “We’ll come back agin!”

 “Oh, children, dear children, did you have a nice play?”
The grownups asked in their joyfullest way.
“Are you tired and happy from a wonderful day?”

 But how could we answer? Just what would you say?