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Re: Poem

In a message dated 12/16/00 4:15:59 PM Central Standard Time, 
pardone at hotmail_com writes:

<< i'm very interested in hearing
 what the 'christian' fans think about it.
 my opinion to follow... >>

I can hear what some would say: "terrible" "profane" "he must have lost his 
faith" you know -- the typical knee jerk thoughtless opinion many would 
expect and often hear from what is usually tossed around as thinking 
Christianly about the arts. 
  While it's refreshing to NOT hear that here I must say,  *personally* I 
wasn't too thrilled with it and YES it does have something to do with the use 
of the word *fuck*.
I do see wonderful thoughts coming through, the wonder and glory of that most 
sacred of acts we can do as human beings.  It's even used in the Catholic 
church as a metaphor for the holiness and intimacy of that most sacred of 
acts we do as Christians--share the Eucharist.
  We all come at words with our own personal baggage, the baggage of the 
times, the baggage of our community, the baggage of our families, so they 
affect us each in a slightly different way, yet, at the same in similar ways 
too.  The word f**k has a hell of a lot of baggage attached to it.  I think 
Linford and Karin are trying to pull that word out of it's place, trying to 
redeem it.  Maybe I'm wrong but I'm not sure that that's possible.
  It just has too much association with things like hate, (F**K you) despair 
(F**K it) apathy,(who gives a F**K) the worst possible sexist and degrading 
thoughts of sex (boy wouldn't you like to F**K that)?  It just hasn't been 
used in the way Linford is using it AFAIK so not many would hear it that way. 
 NOT that it can't be heard that way but, because of all I just said, I don't 
think it's the best vehicle or image to use to get across the content of his 
poem.  In art the form has to compliment the content because they work 
together so integratedly that it is hard, if not impossible, to separate them.
 So, my comment as a Christian who like the arts: 
Kudos' Linford on the content, but, a little trouble with the linking of form 
with it.  Like I said though, it's very subjective.  Maybe for him and others 
the word can be redeemed, only they know.  If so, that's a good thing.  I 
have no problems with it and fully understand what he's trying to do.  It 
just doesn't work for me. 

Kevin 
(who does think it works in the Cockburn song -- what tune is it with the 
line about the IMF? "who don't give a fuck about the people in misery" -- 
he's using it here in a context that people know and can fully feel what he's 
saying. I'm not even sure he could have found another word to work better)

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