Passage of the day - 3 December 2003 - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Mephisto2 · 12-02-2003, 04:00 PM

I know this is probably just a little late, my having missed the Thanksgiving holiday in the US with this post, but I think it's an interesting read nonetheless.

Quote:

Thanksgiving Prayer by William Burroughs

Thanks for the wild turkey and
the passenger pigeons, destined
to be shit out through wholesome
American guts.

Thanks for a continent to despoil
and poison.

Thanks for Indians to provide a
modicum of challenge and
danger.

Thanks for vast herds of bison to
kill and skin leaving the
carcasses to rot.

Thanks for bounties on wolves
and coyotes.

Thanks for the American dream,
To vulgarize and to falsify until
the bare lies shine through.

Thanks for the KKK.

For [negro]-killin' lawmen,
feelin' their notches.

For decent church-goin' women,
with their mean, pinched, bitter,
evil faces.

Thanks for "Kill a Queer for
Christ" stickers.

Thanks for laboratory AIDS.

Thanks for Prohibition and the
war against drugs.

Thanks for a country where
nobody's allowed to mind the
own business.

Thanks for a nation of finks.

Yes, thanks for all the
memories-- all right let's see
your arms!

You always were a headache and
you always were a bore.

Thanks for the last and greatest
betrayal of the last and greatest
of human dreams.

So what do you think?
Do you like it?
What do you think William Burroughs was trying to say?
Do you agree with the sentiments?

Discuss.

Mr Mephisto

PS - Please note that I edited one racial epithet in the quotation. Mr Burroughs was not being racist, as the term was used satiracally, but I don't want to offend any sensibilities.