Dr. Frank's What's-it

Sir, I admit your general

Sir, I admit your general rule that every poet is a fool but as you yourself should serve to show it every fool is not a poet.

Gary Farber emailed me this link: bin Laden's poetry, found in an al Qaeda safe house tucked in amongst the weapons and various and sundry plans for destroying the world.

As a poet, bin Laden can be compared to Shakespeare: Shakespeare, he ain't.

Here are some highlights:

Why in our area do we see

Nothing but parapets and pits?

Is it because America has come

Manipulating funds and media?

...

What can I utter to a world bereft

Of physical and moral vision,

Where nations are bought and sold

In an inflationary and speculative trade?

This sounds very like a Bad Religion song, to tell you the truth.

This bit is more like the Lemon Pipers:

So then I traveled eastward

Where there are men of radiant brows.

Gary suggests that I might be able to give this "a good beat." I would try, but in fact it has already been done by the Lemon Pipers, by Bad Religion, and, most recently, by the Daisy Cutters.

Posted by Dr. Frank at April 7, 2002 12:29 PM | TrackBack