Dare we or dare we not?
By Wegesha
My cell phone rang as I was stretching over the counter to get my cup of coffee. It was Yekolo on the other line laughing deliriously
“Dude, have you seen the recent email we received?” he was still laughing
“No, I haven’t but if it is this funny I have to turn on my laptop right now.”
“Listen, I think we shook the hive too hard.” He was still laughing
“Are you gonna tell me what it is or do I have to beat it out of you?”
“Somebody is calling you out on your hypocritical bullshit about censorship.”
Yekolo’s blog had barely touched on the topic of censorship on one of its previous posts and we were being asked if we stood by what we had written. Have you noticed just about everything in our country is farcical? Yearly famines that wipe out thousands of people are not considered vulgar but words describing the genitalia are. Indiscriminant killings are not obscene (even to the church) but a word describing the action of procreation is. Censorship of these few words in creative writing is merely a formality for a governing institution that puts censorship criteria on ideas, concepts and thoughts. Hama Tuma, in his cynically funny book “The Case of the Socialist Witchdoctor”, narrates the story of a man accused of having thoughts of an anarchist and sent to a labor camp during the derg regime of Ethiopia. Only the name has changed and it is now called “Camp Dedessa.” So, to us, the censorship of words considered vulgar is something that will become a non-issue. But before it becomes a non-issue it has to become an issue first. That said, we will leave you with these two poems. One is from the famous poet Solomon Deresa and the other one was sent to us by someone who wishes to remain anonymous.
To see the other poem click on Read More.
Peace... (Comment this)
This is enough you're just vulgar--leraseh aykefehem to post such nasty things? (Comment this)
Sorry to disappoint you but I feel neither shame nor pride in posting it.
It is perfectly fine that you take the posting to be vulgar but you are really stretching your abilities as a psychic when you try to tell me what I should also consider to be vulgar material (I really don’t get that “leraseh aykefehem” comment). On the other hand, your assertion that I am a very vulgar person is right on the money and perhaps, is evidence that all that psychic power has not gone to waste. Unfortunately, what is cute for you may not be cute for me, what is moral for you may not be moral for me and what you may consider as evil is not necessarily evil to me. It would have been fruitful if you mentioned what part was vulgar. Is it the message of the poem, is it a specific word that someone once told you was vulgar or is it our audacity to put it up for discussion on such a forum?
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Seriously though… We had a long discussion among ourselves (as well as with the original author) whether the poem should be posted or not. We did not want to edit it because not only that violates our rule not to alter other ppl’s work but it also takes something away from the writer’s voice. You must understand that most things we post will end up offending someone. You should, as a reader, try to understand that and try to enjoy parts of the blogs you enjoy while forgiving us for the sins we may have committed in others
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You are making me laugh every day. I really do admire your pretty clever and witty poems and writings. I am just so happy to see all the Abesha creative writing talents coming out on the various blogs. This specific one is another one of those with exceptional quality. It is not vulgar, instead has educational messages indicating some of our dangerous cultural norms and every day activities and their harmful consquences. I say keep posting them so they can wake us up and smell our realities!!! For those who get offended by this, please get a life!!!!!! (Comment this)
By any chance if some body has been to the azmari house in Addis called “ TUTYE” or have her song on a cd Damn Solomon Deraesa’s Poem is nothing compared to what that lady does and say.
ntioning such sexual or private parts . long time back while i was talking to a gal she was telling me , ( mentioning the man and wome genetal part in names in amharic), you knowif God created our genetal on our forhead instead of where they are now there we would be not only call their names as the rest but other than that , . we i thought about it for a moment and said she was right there would have been nothing that we could do . but then again that didnt happen , so even though i agree with wegesha at some pts that since we are created different the feeling that everyone has is different over different matter but most of us agree that its a lil vulgar to use it specially to use it in public than on a blog or a book (Comment this)
I like Solomon Deressa's poem too ... except I'm not really sure what "QinTir masQoreT" means ... (Comment this)